Natural hazards · Emerson

Emerson, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Emerson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Emerson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Emerson to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes18%Drought17%Hail15%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Emerson 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

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Drought

17% of expected damage

Recorded about 44 times a year in the area

Hail

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Emerson flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dixon County.

Disasters that hit Emerson

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmersonDeclared for Dixon County only

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$4K to the Township of Emerson for repairs

Dixon County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Emerson

Emerson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Perrymostly inland floodingHigh

Emersonmostly inland floodingModerate

Springbankmostly inland floodingModerate

Wakefieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Ottercreekmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Emerson 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 Emerson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Emerson. 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.