Enter any address in Thayer County, Nebraska to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Thayer County. Between 2019 and 2020, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 15 flash flood events and 6 flood events. For example, in July 2020, slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain to the southern portion of the county, leading to flash flooding. Later that same month, multiple rounds of thunderstorms caused locally heavy rain and flash flooding across portions of Thayer County.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that Zone A, areas with moderate to high flood risk, accounted for the majority of claims, with an average payout of $12,620 and an average water depth of 12.5 feet. Zone X_Unshaded, areas with a low to moderate flood risk, also had a significant claim with an average payout of $19,649, despite an average water depth of 2.0 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X_Unshaded, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
19 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Thayer County, Nebraska has recorded 21 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 15 flash floods and 6 river or area floods. The county has received 23 federal disaster declarations, 6 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, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Dec 15, 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 6, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Nov 16, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 22, 2008 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2020 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2018 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 2, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2016 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 26, 2016 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2015 | 1.50M |
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2020
Slow moving upper low brings multiple rounds of thunderstorms, including locally heavy rain and a few severe thunderstorms, on July 29th. Low to mid level warm air advection ahead of a lead shortwave trough led to the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms roughly along a line from Hastings to Superior between 6-8am CDT. Locally heavy rain rates and slow moving thunderstorms led to ...
Flash Flood — Jul 26, 2020
Cold front brings slow moving thunderstorms and heavy rain to extreme southern portions of south central Nebraska during the late afternoon and evening of July 26. Thunderstorms developed between 3pm and 4pm CDT from southwest to northeast, generally along a line from Rooks County in north central Kansas, to Thayer County in south central Nebraska. Once thunderstorms developed, heavy rain quick...
Flood — Jun 22, 2019
The overall most significant, widespread damaging wind event of the 2019 convective season wrought havoc across much of South Central Nebraska between the late evening of Thursday the 20th and around sunrise on Friday the 21st. The culprits were two separate linear mesoscale convective systems (MCS), with the first one by far the most impactful. This first storm complex, which traversed the are...
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2019
For most of South Central Nebraska, the 24-hour period from the evening of Monday the 17th into the evening of Tuesday the 18th was simply dreary, damp and seasonably-cool, with no severe storm threat and daytime high temperatures only in the mid-60s to low-70s F. The majority of the area measured no more than 0.50-1.50 of rain, most of which accumulated over the course of several hours, thus c...
Flood — Oct 1, 2019
Primarily during the daylight hours on Tuesday the 1st, a pronounced swath of heavy rain targeted much of Thayer and southeastern Fillmore counties, prompting various instances of mainly minor flooding that persisted into the afternoon of the 2nd before water receded appreciably. Official 24-hour-or-less rain totals featured: 4.65 four miles east of Ohiowa, 4.25 at Hebron airport, 3.81 on the n...
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 Thayer 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 Thayer 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.