Natural hazards · Omaha

Omaha, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Omaha comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 188 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Omaha?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Omaha to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes28%Hail10%Cold waves9%Strong wind7%Heat waves6%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Omaha faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

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

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% 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 90% 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 Omaha flood?

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

188paid claims since 1978

$6.1Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 39 claims, $3.5M
Late spring storms: 13 claims, $555K
Midwest Flooding: 5 claims, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Omaha is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Douglas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

89flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Omaha

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OmahaDeclared for Douglas County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

334 households applied for aid $386K aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

351 households applied for aid $207K aid approved

2011

Flooding

120 households applied for aid $100K aid approved $1.4M to the City of Omaha for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$37K to the City of Omaha for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$728K to the City of Omaha for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

733 households applied for aid $107K aid approved $965K to the City of Omaha for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

448 households applied for aid $491K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$178K to the City of Omaha for repairs

1999

Severe Storms and Flooding

$628K to the City of Omaha for repairs

Douglas County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Omaha

Omaha and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carter Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Council Bluffsmostly inland floodingHigh

Omahamostly inland floodingModerate

Bellevuemostly tornadoesModerate

Ralstonmostly 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. Omaha covers 137 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Omaha’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Omaha. 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 Omaha total about $185M 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.

Omaha, NE natural hazards

How exposed is Omaha?

What Omaha faces

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Hail

Cold waves

Strong wind

Heat waves

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Omaha flood?

Biggest named events

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

Flooding

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

Severe Storms and Flooding

Omaha and the towns around it

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

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