3 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 Frontier 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 summer thunderstorms dominates the flood history of Frontier County. According to NOAA records from the last 30 years, the county experienced 24 flash flood events compared to a single general flood event.
Severe storms have historically caused rapid and dangerous water level rises. For example, a storm system on July 4, 2019, produced widespread severe wind gusts and large hail across southwest Nebraska and the Sandhills. Shortly after, multiple rounds of thunderstorms on July 8, 2019, dropped up to 8 inches of rain near Eustis and caused Medicine Creek near Stockville to rise 9 feet in a single hour.
Properties situated near creeks, streams, and low-lying areas prone to rapid stormwater accumulation should pay the closest attention to flood risks in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
3 NOAA storm reports from Frontier County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Road 702 Fire | Apr 22, 2022 |
| 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 And Flooding | May 28, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 19, 2006 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Nov 27, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
25 since 1996: 24 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2008 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2008 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2008 | $100,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 8, 2019. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms over southwest Nebraska resulted in flash flooding in Frontier County. As much as 8 inches of rain fell near Eustis, while Medicine Creek near Stockville rose 9 feet in one hour.
Flash Flood · Jul 4, 2019. Clusters of thunderstorms and a quasi-linear convective system produced widespread severe wind gusts and large hail across southwest Nebraska and the Sandhills the late night of July 4 and early morning of July 5.
Flood · Jul 17, 2017. Training thunderstorms produced rainfall amounts exceeding three inches in parts of Frontier County.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2011. Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall over parts of Hayes and Frontier counties overnight from May 24th into the 25th. As the ground became saturated runoff increased to produce rapid rise on Medicine Creek in Frontier County.
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 Frontier 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.