Natural hazards · Lincoln

Lincoln, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lincoln comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 130 claims here since 1981. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lincoln?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lincoln to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes38%Inland flooding30%Strong wind11%Hail10%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lincoln faces

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

Tornadoes

38% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

10% 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 Lincoln flood?

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

130paid claims since 1981

$2.6Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Late spring storms: 2 claims, $18K
Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $10K

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

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Lincoln is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Lancaster County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Lincoln

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LincolnDeclared for Lancaster County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Lancaster County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Lincoln

Lincoln and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Yankee Hillmostly inland floodingHigh

Lincolnmostly tornadoesModerate

Waltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Cheneymostly tornadoesModerate

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. Lincoln covers 67 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lincoln’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lincoln. 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 Lincoln total about $86.5M 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.