Enter any address in Saunders County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flood events, including flash floods, are the primary flood hazard in Saunders County, NE, with 55 flood events and 27 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Recent events include significant rainfall on September 1, 2025, which produced 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour in localized areas, and flash flooding on May 21, 2024, associated with a stationary front. River flooding also impacted the region, with ongoing Missouri River flooding extending into early July 2024, causing road closures and affecting riverfront properties.
Homeowners in Zone A, which has seen the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims, should pay particular attention. Properties in Zone X, despite fewer claims, have experienced the highest average payout and water depth. Residents in Zone UNKNOWN also have a history of claims with significant water depth.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
39 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Saunders County, Nebraska has recorded 82 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 27 flash floods and 55 river or area floods. The county has received 30 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 8, 2025 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Winter Storm | Mar 18, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 31, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 19, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jul 9, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 9, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 1, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | 1.17M |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2024 | 250.00K |
| Flood | Jul 2, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 950.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flood — Sep 1, 2025
On the morning of September 1, 2025, a mesoscale vorticity maximum advancing into eastern Nebraska provided the necessary forcing for lift, resulting in a persistent band of moderate to heavy showers. The concurrent presence of a 20-25 knot low-level jet significantly enhanced the inflow of a very moist, albeit weakly unstable, air mass. This dynamic led to radar-estimated rainfall rates reachi...
Flood — Jun 22, 2024
A series of shortwave troughs traversing the northern CONUS brought unsettled weather to the area for the end of June. On the 21st, a stationary front was draped across northeast Nebraska into Iowa. Ahead of one of the aforementioned shortwave troughs, several rounds of strong thunderstorms developed near this frontal zone and moved across northeast Nebraska. At 8 pm on the 21st, radar imagery ...
Flash Flood — May 21, 2024
Troughing over the western CONUS brought southwesterly flow aloft over the central and northern Plains for the duration of this event. In the couple of days leading up to May 21st, the upper-level flow pattern amplified as a trough deepened over the northern Rockies. This trough then ejected out into the central Plains on the 21st. At the surface, a stationary front developed and stretched acro...
Flood — Jul 2, 2024
At the beginning of July, river flooding was still ongoing along portions of the Missouri River extending from east-central Nebraska/southwest Iowa to the southern Nebraska border. Most of the length of the river crested at the end of June, so the greatest impacts are addressed in June StormData. However, sections of I-29 and the I-29/I680 junction remained closed through the first week of July...
Flash Flood — Jul 2, 2024
At the beginning of July, river flooding was still ongoing along portions of the Missouri River extending from east-central Nebraska/southwest Iowa to the southern Nebraska border. Most of the length of the river crested at the end of June, so the greatest impacts are addressed in June StormData. However, sections of I-29 and the I-29/I680 junction remained closed through the first week of July...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Saunders 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.
Properties in Saunders 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.