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Kearney County, Nebraska Flood Zones

Check an Address in Kearney County

Enter any address in Kearney County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone

Read First-Hand Flood Stories from Kearney County

9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.

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Flood Risk Data for Kearney County

Kearney County, Nebraska has recorded 11 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 7 flash floods and 4 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.

Kearney County Disaster History

FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2021)

Disaster Declarations
16
Flood/Coastal Disasters
3
Latest Disaster
Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes (2021-12-15)

Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.

Recent Disaster Declarations in Kearney County

DeclarationTypeDate
Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And TornadoesSevere StormDec 15, 2021
Covid-19BiologicalJan 20, 2020
Covid-19 PandemicBiologicalJan 20, 2020
Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And FloodingFloodMar 9, 2019
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And FloodingSevere StormJun 14, 2014
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And FloodingSevere StormMay 22, 2008
Severe Storms And FloodingSevere StormMay 28, 2007
Severe Winter StormsSevere StormDec 19, 2006
Severe Winter StormSevere StormNov 27, 2005
Hurricane Katrina EvacueesHurricaneAug 29, 2005

Recorded Flood Events in Kearney County

NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)

Total Flood Events
11
River/Area Floods
4
Flash Floods
7
Total Property Damage
$8.0M

Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.

Recent Flood Events in Kearney County

TypeDateDamage
Flash FloodMay 2, 20210.00K
Flash FloodJul 8, 2019100.00K
FloodSep 26, 20130.00K
FloodOct 1, 20135.00K
FloodJan 2, 20110.00K
Flash FloodJun 13, 201025.00K
Flash FloodMay 29, 200825.00K
Flash FloodMay 29, 200710.00K
FloodApr 24, 200710.00K
Flash FloodMay 11, 20053M

Kearney County Flood History

Flash Flood — May 2, 2021

Slow moving front brought severe thunderstorms, including landspouts, and heavy rain to portions of south central Nebraska during the evening of May 2nd. A line of thunderstorms blossomed along a stationary front between 6-8PM CDT from southern Gosper County E to Adams County, then NE to Polk County. Once this activity developed, it remained nearly stationary until around 10PM CDT when an upper...

Flash Flood — Jul 8, 2019

Excessive rainfall, flash flooding, and severe winds occurred on this Monday afternoon and evening. Widely scattered thunderstorms began forming around 1 PM CST along and west of Highway 183. By 2 PM CST, a persistent line segment of thunderstorms began affecting western Dawson county. Over the following four hours, this southwest-northeast oriented line slowly crept east across Dawson county i...

Flood — Sep 26, 2013

During the second week of September, an upper-level low pressure system formed and became cut off from the mean flow over the Intermountain West. This low slowly migrated from near Las Vegas north to Idaho. Subtropical high pressure remained stationary over the Southern Plains. This configuration channeled a stream of anomalously high moisture into the Rockies. With surface high pressure essent...

Flood — Oct 1, 2013

A highly unusual, albeit minor and fairly low-impact episode of Platte River flooding that began in South Central Nebraska in late September continued into the first few days of October before river levels commenced a steadier drop. More specifically, minor flooding during the first few days of October primarily concentrated along the river through Buffalo and Hall counties (and the adjacent ex...

Flood — Jan 2, 2011

In a continuation from December, ice jam flooding remained an issue along portions of the Platte River mainly in early to mid-January, with the worst problems now focused across southern Buffalo and northern Kearney Counties. Some of the worst flooding that affected residences started on the 2nd along a portion of Sweetwater Avenue roughly three miles east of Kearney, and between the north chan...

Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.

Kearney County NFIP Flood Insurance Claims

Total Claims Filed
4
Total Paid Out
$6,348
Avg Claim
$6,348

Claims by Flood Zone

A Zones (High Risk)
3

Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).

Flood Zone Types in Kearney County

FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Kearney 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.

View all flood zone types →

Flood Insurance in Kearney County

Properties in Kearney 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.