Natural hazards · Fairbury

Fairbury, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairbury comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1992. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairbury?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding60%Tornadoes18%Strong wind9%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Fairbury faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 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 Fairbury flood?

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

2paid claims since 1992

$8Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $6K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

13flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Fairbury

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairburyDeclared for Jefferson County only

2025

Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds

$30K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

$37K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

2015

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

$61K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Ice Jams, and Flooding

$8K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $10K aid approved $85K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storm

$9K to the City of Fairbury for repairs

Jefferson County has had 23 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. Fairbury covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairbury’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fairbury. 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 Fairbury total about $1.3M 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.