6,067 flood insurance claims·$97.3M paid·7,124 policies in force
0 flood alerts from the National Weather Service, checked 2 minutes ago. Whole U.S. →
| River gauge | Now | Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| West Fork Big Blue River near Grafton | Near flood stage (10.8 ft) | — |
Is your address in the flood zone? Search it above for FEMA’s zone and base flood elevation. A new flood insurance policy usually takes 30 days to start (NFIP rule; exceptions include a policy bought when closing a mortgage), so one bought during a flood generally won’t cover it. Homeowners policies don’t cover flood.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Nebraska. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Nebraska experiences a mixed flood risk profile characterized predominantly by flash flood and standard flood events, with NOAA data recording over 1,300 flash flood events resulting in six deaths and over 1,000 general flood events resulting in seven deaths over the last 30 years.
Federal disaster declarations emphasize this ongoing exposure, marked by recent multi-county federal disaster declarations on August 8, 2025, for severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding.
The National Flood Insurance Program claim distribution shows that Zone A carries the highest burden by a wide margin, accounting for 4,377 claims and $76 million in total payments with an average of $23,118 per claim, indicating that residents in designated high-risk zones face the greatest and most frequent financial exposure. However, flood risk extends beyond high-risk zones, as demonstrated by hundreds of claims in Zone X categories and unknown zones—such as the 587 claims in Zone X totaling $14 million with the highest average payout at $35,893. This distribution indicates that while Zone A properties require mandatory coverage and represent the bulk of historical claims, residents outside primary high-risk areas still face potential flood hazards and significant individual surprise payouts.
Summary generated from FEMA disaster declarations, NOAA storm events, and NFIP claim data. Updated quarterly.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, Policies, and Disaster Declarations data. NFIP policies in force and average premium (premium plus federal policy fee) as of August 31, 2026, from OpenFEMA.
Nebraska has received 1,586 federal disaster declarations, including 376 flood and coastal storm declarations.
NFIP claims by county, 1978 to date. Source: OpenFEMA. Counties ranked by recorded flood events →
Properties in Nebraska FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Nebraska had 7,124 NFIP policies in force on August 31, 2026, and the average NFIP premium was $1,002 a year (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top, and nationally they make actual bills about a quarter higher). Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 each building is priced on its own flood risk, so a state average says little about what any one home will pay.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from properties outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Nebraska residents can purchase flood insurance through the NFIP or private insurers.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.
See the most flood-prone counties in Nebraska →
Select a county to view local flood zone data and disaster history: