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Nebraska natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 93 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

70major disasters since 1953 (16th most)
$1.3Bexpected losses a year
0.7%of homes with flood insurance
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0

Nebraska has had 70 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $1.3 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 48 of its 93 counties, followed by hail in 32. None is rated Very High overall. About 0.7% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $96.1 million on 5,716 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties
High1counties
Moderate2counties
Low16counties

Highest overall risk

1Douglas CountyHigh
2Lancaster CountyModerate
3Sarpy CountyModerate
4Hall CountyLow
5Platte CountyLow

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Buffalo CountyLow
2Hall CountyLow
3Sarpy CountyModerate
4Lancaster CountyModerate
5Douglas CountyHigh

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 48 counties
Hailtop risk in 32 counties
Droughttop risk in 7 counties

Recent federal declarations

All states ›
Aug 3, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster

Largest counties

Douglas County

584,427 people

High Inland flooding

Lancaster County

322,200 people

Moderate Tornado

Sarpy County

190,379 people

Moderate Tornado

Hall County

62,826 people

Low Inland flooding

Buffalo County

50,007 people

Low Hail

Dodge County

37,166 people

Low Inland flooding

Scotts Bluff County

36,060 people

Low Hail

Madison County

35,573 people

Low Inland flooding

Lincoln County

34,647 people

Low Inland flooding

Platte County

34,261 people

Low Inland flooding

Adams County

31,199 people

Low Hail

Cass County

26,592 people

Very Low Inland flooding

Cities in Nebraska

All 9 cities ›
Omaha488,837Lincoln294,856Bellevue64,510Grand Island52,884Kearney34,246Fremont27,567Norfolk26,054Papillion25,244Hastings25,008

All 93 counties

NamePeopleOverall riskTop hazardDeclarationsHomes insured
Adams County31,199LowHail160.5%
Antelope County6,295Very LowHail110.2%
Arthur County434Very LowDrought100%
Banner County670Very LowDrought60%
Blaine County431Very LowInland flooding100.2%
Boone County5,372LowHail180.3%
Box Butte County10,810Very LowDrought70.1%
Boyd County1,810Very LowInland flooding160.4%
Brown County2,898Very LowCold wave90%
Buffalo County50,007LowHail170.6%
Burt County6,722Very LowInland flooding180.4%
Butler County8,354Very LowInland flooding170.4%
Cass County26,592Very LowInland flooding253%
Cedar County8,361Very LowInland flooding140.4%
Chase County3,884Very LowHail100%
Cherry County5,430Very LowInland flooding90%
Cheyenne County9,468Very LowInland flooding80.1%
Clay County6,099LowHail170.2%
Colfax County10,575Very LowInland flooding183.9%
Cuming County9,013LowInland flooding220.3%
Custer County10,530Very LowInland flooding180.4%
Dakota County21,545Very LowInland flooding140.4%
Dawes County8,197Very LowInland flooding100.2%
Dawson County24,096LowHail131%
Deuel County1,838Very LowDrought70.5%
Dixon County5,606Very LowInland flooding170.4%
Dodge County37,166LowInland flooding194.1%
Douglas County584,427HighInland flooding270.5%
Dundy County1,654Very LowHail100%
Fillmore County5,541Very LowHail230.1%
Franklin County2,889Very LowHail80.1%
Frontier County2,519Very LowHail140%
Furnas County4,634LowHail140.1%
Gage County21,684Very LowInland flooding220.4%
Garden County1,874Very LowDrought110.7%
Garfield County1,813Very LowInland flooding120%
Gosper County1,893Very LowHail120.2%
Grant County610Very LowInland flooding50%
Greeley County2,188Very LowHail180%
Hall County62,826LowInland flooding150.2%
Hamilton County9,418Very LowHail210.3%
Harlan County3,070Very LowHail120.1%
Hayes County856Very LowHail170.2%
Hitchcock County2,616Very LowInland flooding70%
Holt County10,118Very LowCold wave140.2%
Hooker County711Very LowInland flooding40%
Howard County6,475Very LowHail220.8%
Jefferson County7,240Very LowInland flooding230.1%
Johnson County5,288Very LowInland flooding200.4%
Kearney County6,685Very LowHail140.8%
Keith County8,319Very LowInland flooding70.3%
Keya Paha County757Very LowCold wave110%
Kimball County3,432Very LowInland flooding60.1%
Knox County8,383Very LowInland flooding160.7%
Lancaster County322,200ModerateTornado140.8%
Lincoln County34,647LowInland flooding180.7%
Logan County716Very LowInland flooding120%
Loup County593Very LowInland flooding120%
Madison County35,573LowInland flooding170.5%
McPherson County399Very LowInland flooding80%
Merrick County7,660LowInland flooding131%
Morrill County4,555Very LowDrought150.1%
Nance County3,373Very LowHail160.3%
Nemaha County7,072Very LowInland flooding240.2%
Nuckolls County4,090Very LowHail190.2%
Otoe County15,885Very LowInland flooding210.2%
Pawnee County2,535Very LowInland flooding180%
Perkins County2,858Very LowHail80.1%
Phelps County8,968Very LowHail120.1%
Pierce County7,312Very LowInland flooding150.3%
Platte County34,261LowInland flooding210.7%
Polk County5,214Very LowHail180.4%
Red Willow County10,698Very LowHail120.1%
Richardson County7,871Very LowInland flooding210.3%
Rock County1,262Very LowInland flooding120.1%
Saline County14,291Very LowInland flooding190.6%
Sarpy County190,379ModerateTornado230.9%
Saunders County22,262Very LowInland flooding282.9%
Scotts Bluff County36,060LowHail80.6%
Seward County17,577Very LowInland flooding170.2%
Sheridan County5,124Very LowWildfire70.1%
Sherman County2,959Very LowHail170.1%
Sioux County1,135Very LowDrought120%
Stanton County5,834Very LowInland flooding170.5%
Thayer County5,017Very LowHail220.4%
Thomas County669Very LowInland flooding80%
Thurston County6,766Very LowInland flooding220%
Valley County4,059Very LowHail160.1%
Washington County20,857Very LowInland flooding220.4%
Wayne County9,697Very LowInland flooding160%
Webster County3,393LowHail140.2%
Wheeler County774Very LowHail120.1%
York County14,106LowHail180.7%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.