Natural hazards · Ashland

Ashland, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ashland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ashland?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ashland to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes18%Hail8%Strong wind7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Ashland faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 70 years in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Ashland flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ashland, from FEMA’s records.

50paid claims since 1978

$534Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $92K
Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $20K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Saunders County.

Disasters that hit Ashland

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Ashland itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Ashland.

Brought FEMA money into AshlandDeclared for Saunders County only

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

132 households applied for aid $512K aid approved $36K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$168K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornado, and Straight-Lin

$8K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Saunders County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Ashland is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.