1 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 Garfield 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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Garfield County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1994, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | May 12, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Apr 13, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Apr 29, 2017 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
9 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2025 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 12, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 12, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Aug 2, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2010 | $130,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 1999 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 15, 2025. Thunderstorms initiated during the early afternoon hours over northern Cherry County. They then expanded to the south, into northern Lincoln County over the next few hours becoming severe. A second area of strong to severe storms, originating over northeastern Colorado, tracked into southwestern Nebraska later in the evening. The two areas merged, before lifting northeast into South Dakota after midnight. Hail up…
Flash Flood · Oct 12, 2023. A warm front was situated over southern Nebraska on the morning of October 12th. Aided by strong mid level winds, thunderstorms developed along this front and lifted quickly north into central Nebraska during the mid to late afternoon hours of October 12th. Heavy rain was reported with these storms. Broken Bow received 5.45 inches of rainfall in 2 to 3 hours which led to flooding in and around Broken Bow. The 5.45…
Flash Flood · May 12, 2023. A closed low pressure system moved slowly across the northern Plains and spawned multiple tornadoes across north central Nebraska.
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…
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 Garfield 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.