Enter any address in Cedar County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Cedar County. Between 2024 and 1994, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 13 flash flood events and 10 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding reported on county roads in July 2024 and isolated instances of flash flooding in rural western Wayne County in April 2024. A significant flood event in March 2019 caused widespread, moderate to major flooding across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, attributed to rapid snowmelt and heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data for Cedar County shows that properties in Zone A have experienced flood events, with an average payout of $7,189 and an average water depth of 2.7 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those residing near rivers or in areas prone to flash flooding, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Cedar County, Nebraska has recorded 23 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 13 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2022)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | May 12, 2022 |
| 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 17, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2014 |
| Flooding | Flood | Jun 17, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| 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 | Jul 19, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 16, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2014 | 200.00K |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 1, 2011 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2011 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2011 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Aug 1, 2011 | 5.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2024
Isolated convection across northeast Nebraska brought an instance of flash flooding in Cedar County where a trained spotter reported water flowing over multiple county roads. There was also a funnel cloud the following day that received a lot of social media attention that developed over Norfolk. Additional funnels clouds were noted in Monona County the evening of the 21st.
Flash Flood — Apr 16, 2024
At midnight on the 16th, non-severe thunderstorms were ongoing across portions of northeast Nebraska and western Iowa. With these storms being rooted in a nearly stationary boundary co-located with the exit region of a low-level jet, this area saw prolonged periods of moderate to heavy rain. This resulted in isolated instances of flash flooding, especially for rural portions of western Wayne Co...
Flood — Mar 13, 2019
A 971mb bomb cyclone moved out of the central Rockies on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 and helped to create widespread, moderate to major, and in many cases historic, flooding across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. From 4 to 15 inches of snow cover remained across the mid Missouri River valley, and the ground was frozen with existing frost depths of 15 to 23 inches. Warm temperatures allowed all...
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2014
The warm front that was responsible for the significant tornadoes on the afternoon of the 16th, lifted slightly north on the 17th into far northeast Nebraska. Extreme instability again developed along this boundary given the very warm and humid airmass in place across the region. By late afternoon an isolated supercell thunderstorm developed along this boundary and quickly become severe. This l...
Flood — Jul 5, 2014
Thunderstorms developed shortly after midnight over eastern Nebraska and moved east into western Iowa. Marginal instability and shear limited the overall severe weather threat from these thunderstorms, but deep moisture, repeated thunderstorms, and a slow movement to the complex, heavy rain was widespread across far northeast Nebraska and western Iowa. General rainfall amounts ranged from 1 to ...
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 Cedar 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 Cedar 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.