Enter any address in Buffalo County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Buffalo County. Between 2003 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 16 flash flood events and 13 flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on July 22, 2022, caused by slow-moving thunderstorms, and extensive flooding following heavy rainfall and blizzard conditions on March 13, 2019.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $131,824 and an average water depth of 0.9 feet. While Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded have fewer claims, they still represent flood risk. Residents in Zone A, as well as those in other designated flood zones or areas with potential for flooding, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
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.
Buffalo County, Nebraska has recorded 29 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 16 flash floods and 13 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 | Jun 19, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 22, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 28, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Storm | Dec 19, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuees | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2022 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Aug 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 1.00M |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 2.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2019 | 25.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2019 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flood | May 17, 2015 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2015 | 25.00K |
Flash Flood — Sep 21, 2023
Between the mid-afternoon of Thursday the 21st and the early morning of Friday the 22nd, fairly widespread thunderstorm activity affected much of South Central Nebraska, but particularly counties between Interstate 80 and the Kansas border. Within this region, a few rounds of strong to severe storms unfolded, including a handful of intense supercells. Ground-truth severe weather reports were pr...
Flash Flood — Jul 22, 2022
A slow-moving cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms rumbled along a path from the northwestern corner of Buffalo County to northwestern Adams County between the evening of Friday the 22nd into the very early morning of Saturday the 23rd, yielding a few reports of marginally-severe hail and winds, along with heavy rain and localized flooding. Isolated thunderstorms started developing around ...
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...
Flash Flood — Mar 13, 2019
Excessive rainfall, blizzard conditions, and high winds occurred on this Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday, and they were followed by extensive and significant flooding that lasted for days afterward. The seeds of the disastrous flooding were planted in the weeks leading up to this event. The factors that came together made this a worst case scenario. February through early March was bitter...
Flood — Mar 13, 2019
Excessive rainfall, blizzard conditions, and high winds occurred on this Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday, and they were followed by extensive and significant flooding that lasted for days afterward. The seeds of the disastrous flooding were planted in the weeks leading up to this event. The factors that came together made this a worst case scenario. February through early March was bitter...
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 Buffalo 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 Buffalo 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.