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Natural hazard risk in Douglas County, Nebraska

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 95.8 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$233.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1967
27[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$14.6 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
21[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Douglas County, Nebraska, as Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 95.8 out of 100[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are strong wind, hail and tornado, each rated Very High[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from natural hazards in Douglas County at $233.9 million a year, rated Relatively High[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly economic loss, not money anyone paid, and it does not predict next year's losses[7]. Inland flooding accounts for $88.1 million a year of expected loss[8] and tornado for $63.9 million[9], while hail adds $24.4 million[10]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively Low (score 20.2), its measure of how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause[11]. FEMA rates community resilience Relatively High (score 79.9), its measure of the ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[12].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Strong WindVery High$15.6 million[13]
HailVery High$24.4 million[10]
TornadoVery High$63.9 million[9]
Winter WeatherVery High$1.6 million[14]
Ice StormVery High$3.0 million[15]
Heat WaveRelatively High$14.2 million[16]
Cold WaveRelatively High$19.6 million[17]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$88.1 million[8]
WildfireRelatively Low$1.3 million[18]
LightningRelatively High$1.3 million[19]
LandslideRelatively Low$20,000[20]
DroughtRelatively Low$377,000[21]
EarthquakeVery Low$373,000[22]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[23].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Low20.2[11]
Community resilienceRelatively High79.9[12]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Douglas County Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 95.0[8]. OpenFEMA data as of 2026-08-03 shows 875 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 179,063 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.5%[24]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 659 of 3,772 residential structures had a contract, a rate of 17.5%[24]. For losses from 1978 to 2026, the National Flood Insurance Program paid $14.6 million on 794 of 1,045 claims[3].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[8] Relatively High, $88.1 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[24] 875 of 179,063 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[24] 3,772, of which 659 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1,045 filed, $14.6 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[25]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 27 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Douglas County since 1967, including 15 for severe storms, 7 for floods and 3 for tornadoes[2]. The most recent was DR-4896-NE for severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding, declared 2025-10-22[26]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 21 tornadoes that touched the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. The strongest were rated F4, and the most recent recorded tornado was on 2016-04-27[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Douglas County, since 1967
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 15
Flood[2] 7
Tornado[2] 3
Winter Storm[2] 1
Hurricane[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4896-NE[26] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2025-10-22
DR-4868-NE[26] Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds 2025-05-21
DR-4838-NE[26] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2024-10-21
DR-4822-NE[26] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2024-09-24
DR-4808-NE[26] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2024-08-20

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Questions people ask

Is Douglas County, Nebraska at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Douglas County Relatively High compared with other US counties[8]. OpenFEMA lists 7 flood declarations that include the county since 1967[2]. To check the flood zone of an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[25].
How often do tornadoes hit Douglas County, Nebraska?
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 21 tornadoes that touched Douglas County from 1950 to 2024, and 2 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Very High compared with other US counties, with an annualized frequency of 0.29 events per year[9].
Is Douglas County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Douglas County Very Low compared with other US counties, with a modeled annual frequency of 0.0006 events per year[22]. A hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low[7].
How many federal disasters have been declared in Douglas County, Nebraska?
OpenFEMA lists 27 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Douglas County since 1967, of which 25 were major disaster declarations[2].
How can I check if a home in Douglas County is in a flood zone?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, the official public source for flood maps, or ask the local floodplain manager[25]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[25].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Douglas County is $233.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 96.5). Of this, buildings account for $152.5 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $80.4... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 27 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Douglas County since 1967 (25 major disaster, 2 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 15, flood 7, tornado 3, winter storm 1, hurricane 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1,045 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Douglas County, 794 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $14.6 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 21 recorded tornadoes touched Douglas County. The strongest were rated F4 (most recent of them on 1975-05-06). 2 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2016-04-27. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Douglas County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 95.8 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Douglas County are strong wind (99.4, Very High), hail (99.4, Very High), tornado (99.3, Very High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's scores compare... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 95.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $88.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.79 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26... FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $63.9 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.29 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $24.4 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 6.87 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Douglas County is Relatively Low (score 20.2). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Douglas County is Relatively High (score 79.9). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $15.6 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 4.34 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.6 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 13.68 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 97.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.0 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.91 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $14.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 8.16 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $19.6 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 4.74 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 88.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.3 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.001 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 88.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 46.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 80.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $20,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 62.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $377,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 14.46 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Douglas County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 52.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $373,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0006 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Douglas County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  24. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 875 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Douglas County, out of 179,063 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.5%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 3,772 residential structures and 659 contracts, a... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  25. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  26. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.