Enter any address in Adams County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Adams County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 13 flash flood events and 11 flood events. For example, slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain and flooding to parts of south central Nebraska, including Adams County, on May 2, 2021. More recently, persistent rainfall led to flooding near the Crystal Lake Recreation Area in Adams County around May 22, 2020.
NFIP claims data indicates that while Zone A and Zone Unknown have seen claims with moderate payouts and water depths, Zone X has experienced significantly higher average payouts, though with zero payouts in some instances. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone X, Zone A, or Zone Unknown should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
22 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Adams County, Nebraska has recorded 24 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 13 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 6, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Winter Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 2, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 22, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Dec 19, 2006 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 2, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2020 | 100.00K |
| Flood | May 22, 2020 | 200.00K |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Aug 23, 2019 | 125.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Sep 2, 2018 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Aug 29, 2016 | 225.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2016 | 225.00K |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2015 | 125.00K |
Flash Flood — May 2, 2021
Slow moving front brought severe thunderstorms, including landspouts, and heavy rain to portions of south central Nebraska during the evening of May 2nd. A line of thunderstorms blossomed along a stationary front between 6-8PM CDT from southern Gosper County E to Adams County, then NE to Polk County. Once this activity developed, it remained nearly stationary until around 10PM CDT when an upper...
Flash Flood — May 25, 2020
Thunderstorms brought heavy rain and a landspout to portions of south central Nebraska the evening of Sunday, May 24 into the early morning hours of Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.||Just after 6 PM CDT Sunday evening, weak thundershowers began developing along a frontal boundary that was located from near Stockton, KS to Red Cloud, NE to Shelby, NE. One of these weak thundershowers managed to spa...
Flood — May 22, 2020
Persistent rainfall from a potent, slow moving upper low pressure system led to heavy rain and isolated flooding across south central Nebraska heading into the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. The worst of the flooding occurred near the Crystal Lake Recreation Area in Adams County, but pockets of minor/brief flooding were noted in and around Kearney as well.||Rain first moved into the area during ...
Flood — May 27, 2019
Widespread flooding of low-lying areas, fields, creeks, and rivers continued. A large area of heavy rain fell due to multiple thunderstorm episodes on the nights of the 26th and 27th, and resulted in 3 to 5 inch totals over much of south central Nebraska. The swath of greatest rainfall amounts extended from Alma to Hastings to Columbus. This swath was surrounded by rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inc...
Flood — Aug 23, 2019
As severe storm/flooding events go, some are definitely better-anticipated than others (forecast-wise). Unfortunately, what transpired on this Thursday evening the 22nd into early Friday morning the 23rd fell into the low-predictability category, as an apparent mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) sparked isolated-but-intense thunderstorms that not only dumped flooding rains on parts of Sherman/Bu...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Adams County, Nebraska:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Adams County, Nebraska that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.