Natural hazards · Broken Bow

Broken Bow, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Broken Bow comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Broken Bow?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Broken Bow to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes14%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Broken Bow faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Broken Bow flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Custer County.

Disasters that hit Broken Bow

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Broken BowDeclared for Custer County only

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

33 households applied for aid $12K aid approved $14K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$24K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $653 aid approved

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$62K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storm

$21K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

Custer County has had 18 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. Broken Bow 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 Broken Bow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Broken Bow. 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.