Natural hazards · Ralston

Ralston, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ralston comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ralston?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ralston to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes31%Inland flooding30%Hail11%Cold waves10%Strong wind8%Heat waves7%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Ralston faces

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

Tornadoes

31% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% 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 weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ralston flood?

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

1paid claims since 2019

$34Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Douglas County.

Disasters that hit Ralston

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RalstonDeclared for Douglas County only

2024

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

$255K to the City of Ralston for repairs

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$61K to the City of Ralston for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$14K to the City of Ralston for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$22K to the City of Ralston for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $21K to the City of Ralston for repairs

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

Around Ralston

Ralston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Omahamostly inland floodingModerate

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. Ralston covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ralston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ralston. 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 Ralston total about $1.9M 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.