2 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 Morrill 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 risk profile in Morrill County, Nebraska, accounting for 21 of the 23 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, while standard river floods make up the remaining 2 events.
Recent history illustrates this pattern. On June 14, 2024, multiple rounds of training thunderstorms dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain in a short period, causing creeks and streams to overflow their banks and flash flooding several county roads. Severe storms also brought flash flooding to the region on July 8, 2023, and heavy rainfall from thunderstorms affected the area on July 18, 2018.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties near creeks, streams, ditches, and county roads that are susceptible to rapid filling and overflow during intense summer thunderstorm downpours.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Morrill County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 2001, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Apr 6, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-line Winds | Jun 12, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 6, 2015 |
| Flooding | Jun 17, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 1, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 5, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jul 18, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2015 | — |
| Flood | May 15, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 14, 2024. Multiple rounds of training thunderstorms produced an extended period of torrential rainfall across Cheyenne and Morrill counties from the mid to late afternoon into the early evening hours on 6/14. Numerous reports were received of rainfall amounts ranging from 3 to 5 inches in a short period of time, resulting in flash flooding of several county roads due to creeks and streams flowing out of their banks and ditc…
Flash Flood · Jul 8, 2023. Severe storms producing large hail and flash flooding occurred in the Nebraska Panhandle on 8 July 2023.
Flood · Jul 18, 2018. Thunderstorms produced damaging winds and very heavy rainfall across eastern portions of the Nebraska Panhandle.
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2016. Thunderstorms produced strong winds, torrential rain and large hail across portions of the Nebraska Panhandle.
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 Morrill 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.