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FEMA flood zones · Nebraska

Thomas County, Nebraska Flood Zone Map

FEMA’s digital flood map shows no high- or moderate-risk zones in Thomas County. That can mean the area was never studied in detail or has no digital map, not that it can’t flood; the county floodplain administrator can say which.

Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.

Coastal high risk (V, VE)FloodwayHigh risk (A, AE)Moderate (X, 500-year)Minimal (X)Undetermined (D)

Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Thomas 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.

In their words

3 NOAA storm reports from Thomas County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Nebraska flood stories →

Federal disasters

10 federal disaster declarations since 2001.

DisasterBegan
Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And FloodingJun 19, 2024
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And FloodingJun 17, 2018
Thedford FireApr 22, 2011
Severe Storms And FloodingJun 1, 2010
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And FloodingMay 22, 2008
Severe Storms, Flooding, And TornadoesMay 4, 2007
Hurricane Katrina EvacueesAug 29, 2005
Severe Winter Storms, Flooding And TornadoesApr 10, 2001

Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.

Recorded flood events

4 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.

EventDateDamage
Flash FloodMay 29, 2023$1,000
FloodMay 29, 2023$25,000
FloodJun 12, 2010$50,000
Flash FloodJul 27, 2004—

— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.

From the storm reports

Flash Flood · May 29, 2023. A cold front approached western and north central Nebraska on May 29th, initiating numerous thunderstorms across western and north central Nebraska. Some storms became severe, especially over the Sandhills. Hail up to quarter size, thunderstorm wind gusts up to 75 MPH and localized flooding was reported.

Flood · May 29, 2023. A cold front approached western and north central Nebraska on May 29th, initiating numerous thunderstorms across western and north central Nebraska. Some storms became severe, especially over the Sandhills. Hail up to quarter size, thunderstorm wind gusts up to 75 MPH and localized flooding was reported.

Flood · Jun 12, 2010. A semi stationary front across the plains over a three day period remained the focus for thunderstorm development on June 11th. The thunderstorms developed initially on the high plains and spread east and intensified producing several large hail events and an isolated tornado in western Nebraska. Overnight as the low level jet strengthened storms continued producing heavy rainfall over already saturated grounds th…

National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.

The zones you’ll see on the map

Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.

Cross-section of a river floodplainDiagram: a river valley. The floodway is the channel and the land beside it; the 1%-annual-chance flood surface (the base flood elevation) covers the valley floor as zone A or AE; a narrow band higher up is shaded X, the 0.2% floodplain; higher ground is X.0.2% CHANCE A YEAR (500-YEAR)BASE FLOOD ELEVATION · 1% A YEARXAEFloodwayAEX
  1. A / AE Inside the 1%-a-year floodplain: about a 26% chance of flooding over a 30-year mortgage. AE has a mapped base flood elevation; plain A does not.
  2. Floodway The channel and the land beside it that has to be kept clear enough to carry the flood. Building here is tightly limited.
  3. X shaded The 0.2% (500-year) floodplain, plus some levee-protected and very shallow flood areas.
  4. X Outside both lines. No federal requirement to insure, which is not the same as no risk.

Every flood zone code explained →

Flood insurance in Thomas County

If a building in Thomas 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.