Enter any address in Douglas County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Douglas County, Nebraska. Recent events include heavy rainfall impacting the Omaha metropolitan area on July 31, 2025, with rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour, and significant flooding reported on May 15, 2024, associated with a warm front lifting across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $16,249 and an average water depth of 2.1 feet. While Zone X has fewer claims, it has the highest average payout of $17,473, though with a reported average water depth of -0.2 feet, suggesting these payouts may be for events outside of typical inundation or for damage not directly related to water depth. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk or lower-lying properties, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
56 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Douglas County, Nebraska has recorded 94 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 55 flash floods and 39 river or area floods. The county has received 29 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 8, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Winter Storm | Mar 18, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 31, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 19, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jul 9, 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 24, 2025 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2024 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2024 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2024 | 75.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2024 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2024 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 31, 2025
On the morning of July 31, 2025, a slow-moving, efficient rainfall-producing thunderstorm impacted the Omaha metropolitan area. Rainfall rates under the heaviest showers were estimated at 1.50 to 3.00 inches per hour. Radar estimates placed total rainfall between 1.25 and 4.00 inches, with observed reports ranging from 3.15 to 4.03 inches across western portions of the Omaha metro in Douglas an...
Flash Flood — Apr 24, 2025
On April 24, 2025, a vorticity maximum over central Nebraska helped drape a surface front across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, setting the stage for thunderstorm development throughout the afternoon and evening. Although overall instability was marginal, locally backed surface winds near and just north of the boundary enhanced low-level hodograph curvature, with 0���1 km storm-relati...
Flood — Jun 24, 2024
A series of shortwave troughs traversing the northern CONUS brought unsettled weather to the area for the end of June. On the 21st, a stationary front was draped across northeast Nebraska into Iowa. Ahead of one of the aforementioned shortwave troughs, several rounds of strong thunderstorms developed near this frontal zone and moved across northeast Nebraska. At 8 pm on the 21st, radar imagery ...
Flood — Jun 22, 2024
A series of shortwave troughs traversing the northern CONUS brought unsettled weather to the area for the end of June. On the 21st, a stationary front was draped across northeast Nebraska into Iowa. Ahead of one of the aforementioned shortwave troughs, several rounds of strong thunderstorms developed near this frontal zone and moved across northeast Nebraska. At 8 pm on the 21st, radar imagery ...
Flash Flood — May 21, 2024
Troughing over the western CONUS brought southwesterly flow aloft over the central and northern Plains for the duration of this event. In the couple of days leading up to May 21st, the upper-level flow pattern amplified as a trough deepened over the northern Rockies. This trough then ejected out into the central Plains on the 21st. At the surface, a stationary front developed and stretched acro...
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 Douglas 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 Douglas 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.