7 flood insurance claims·$38,552 paid
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 Keith 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 profile of Keith County, Nebraska, accounting for 16 out of 17 recorded flood events and one death over the last 30 years.
Severe weather events are driven by thunderstorms tracking eastward from Colorado and Wyoming or developing ahead of cold fronts across the region. For example, scattered thunderstorms and supercells brought flash flooding that impacted Ogallala on July 25, 2020. Similarly, on May 27, 2019, a stalled frontal boundary triggered storms that produced large hail, a tornado, and urban and small stream flooding as local communities experienced overwhelmed storm drains.
Homeowners and real estate agents should pay the most attention to properties located within FEMA flood Zone A, which has recorded 5 NFIP claims with an average payout of $27,085 and an average recorded water depth of 34 inches. Properties in Zone X and unshaded Zone X, which have recorded fewer claims and lower average payouts, also warrant review, though Zone A properties face the highest documented flood severity.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 34 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2002, with 2 claims and $0 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
6 NOAA storm reports from Keith County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 2001.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Morrill-cottonwood Fire | Mar 12, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Apr 13, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 11, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Dec 19, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuees | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Apr 10, 2001 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
17 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 19, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2019 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2019 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 23, 2025. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon hours of July 23 across the Sandhills, southwestern and portions of central Nebraska. This activity developed in advance of an approaching cold front. As the afternoon progressed, activity became better organized and severe over Keith County mid afternoon. As storms tracked east into Lincoln and Custer Counties, they maintained their intensity into the…
Flash Flood · Aug 19, 2021. Thunderstorms developed across portions of Colorado and Wyoming in the afternoon. Thunderstorms became more numerous and moved east into western and southwest Nebraska. A line of storms then formed and move across the Sandhills into central Nebraska.
Flash Flood · Jul 25, 2020. Scattered thunderstorms, including a few supercells, slowly progressed across portions of the Sandhills and southwest Nebraska during the evening hours. Winds were estimated at 70 mph around North Platte, while flash flooding impacted Ogallala.
Flash Flood · May 27, 2019. A stalled out frontal boundary draped from southern Nebraska into northeastern Colorado served as the focal point for thunderstorms. Thunderstorms initiated over northeastern Colorado and became severe as they tracked east into southwestern Nebraska. Large hail and a tornado were reported with these severe storms. Urban and small stream flooding impacted local communities as storm drains were overwhelmed.
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 Keith 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.