18 flood insurance claims·$313,327 paid·7 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Boyd County, 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.
Flash flooding from severe weather and spring river overflow dominate the flood risks in Boyd County, Nebraska.
Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 16 total flood events, consisting of 10 flash flood events resulting in one death, and 6 general flood events. Notable events include a June 2023 severe weather outbreak driven by a stationary front that produced flash flooding alongside damaging winds and large hail, as well as a July 2020 event where slow-moving thunderstorms produced flooding across the county. Historical river flooding occurred in March 2019 due to a combination of heavy snow, rain, rapid snow melt, and frozen ground. This event caused severe flooding along the Niobrara and Keya Paha rivers, among others, and involved the failure of the Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River along with several privately owned dams, resulting in one fatality.
FEMA insurance data indicates that properties located within Flood Zone A are particularly vulnerable, accounting for 18 claims with an average payout of $28,484 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated in Zone A and near regional rivers, creeks, and dams.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 8 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 7 claims and $82,106 paid, the year of Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
10 NOAA storm reports from Boyd County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 19, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 17, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Apr 13, 2018 |
| Flooding | Jun 17, 2011 |
| Flooding | May 24, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Ice Jams, And Flooding | Mar 6, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2020 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $12.0M · 1 killed |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $3.0M |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $1.0M |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $5.0M |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 24, 2023. A stationary front draped across the area helped to spark an expansive severe weather outbreak across western and north central Nebraska. Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 82 MPH, hail up to softball size, along with flash flooding was reported.
Flash Flood · Jul 29, 2020. Groups of thunderstorms slowly moved across the Sandhills during the evening hours, producing flooding in Boyd County and severe wind gusts in Custer County.
Flash Flood · Mar 14, 2019. Historical flooding occurred in north central Nebraska as rivers, creeks and other streams rose due to the combination of snow, rain, and rapid snow melt on top of frozen ground. The greatest flooding occurred along the Niobrara, Keya Paha, Elkhorn and Loup Rivers; Ponca, Long Pine, Victoria and Cedar creeks; and one fatality occurred from the failure of Spencer Dam that is located on the Niobrara River. In additi…
Flood · Mar 13, 2019. Historical flooding occurred in north central Nebraska as rivers, creeks and other streams rose due to the combination of snow, rain, and rapid snow melt on top of frozen ground. The greatest flooding occurred along the Niobrara, Keya Paha, Elkhorn and Loup Rivers; Ponca, Long Pine, Victoria and Cedar creeks; and one fatality occurred from the failure of Spencer Dam that is located on the Niobrara River. In additi…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Boyd County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.