Natural hazards · Lincoln

Lincoln, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lincoln comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Lincoln?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lincoln to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes20%Strong wind11%Hail11%Ice storms8%Heat waves7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lincoln faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 97 years in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

Winter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Lincoln flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Lincoln.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Lincoln isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Cloud County.

Disasters that hit Lincoln

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Cloud County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lincoln itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into LincolnDeclared for Cloud County only

Cloud County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Lincoln

Lincoln and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lawrencemostly inland floodingHigh

Centermostly inland floodingHigh

Nelsonmostly inland floodingHigh

Sibleymostly inland floodingModerate

Buffalomostly inland floodingModerate

Lincolnmostly inland floodingModerate

Concordiamostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Lincoln covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lincoln’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lincoln. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Lincoln total about $3.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.