2 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 Brown 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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Brown County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 22, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 4, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 19, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuees | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
12 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2010 | $75,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 5, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 20, 2024. Thunderstorms developed along a stationary frontal boundary, which was draped across the central Sandhills, during the late afternoon hours of June 20th. This activity became severe later on with hail up to ping pong size, thunderstorm wind gusts up to 70 MPH and a couple of tornadoes. Flash flooding was also reported in the Long Pine and O'Neill areas.
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…
Flash Flood · Sep 12, 2019. A strong upper level trough of low pressure forced a cold front through western and north central Nebraska during the late afternoon and evening hours of September 11th. Thunderstorms developed in the eastern Nebraska Panhandle and moved east and southeast during the evening hours. Hail up to two and a half inches in diameter and thunderstorm wind gusts to 80 MPH were reported.
Flash Flood · Sep 11, 2019. A strong upper level trough of low pressure forced a cold front through western and north central Nebraska during the late afternoon and evening hours of September 11th. Thunderstorms developed in the eastern Nebraska Panhandle and moved east and southeast during the evening hours. Hail up to two and a half inches in diameter and thunderstorm wind gusts to 80 MPH were reported.
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 Brown 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.