Natural hazards · Bennington

Bennington, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bennington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bennington?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bennington to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes29%Hail12%Cold waves9%Strong wind7%Heat waves6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Bennington 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 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 90 years in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter 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 Bennington flood?

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

1paid claims since 2016

$28Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Douglas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Bennington

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BenningtonDeclared for Douglas County only

2024

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

$41K to the City of Bennington for repairs

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

73 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$14K to the City of Bennington for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$8K to the City of Bennington for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Douglas County has had 24 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. Bennington 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 Bennington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bennington. 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.