Natural hazards · Seward

Seward, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seward comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Seward?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seward to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes24%Hail13%Strong wind10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Seward faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 55 years in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 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 Seward flood?

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

17paid claims since 1982

$124Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $11K
March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $15K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Seward County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

49flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Seward

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SewardDeclared for Seward County only

2025

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$484K to the City of Seward for repairs

2025

Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds

$227K to the City of Seward for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$194K to the City of Seward for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the City of Seward for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Seward County has had 17 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. Seward covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seward’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Seward. 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 Seward 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.