Shelton’s biggest natural hazard is hail
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shelton comes from hail, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Shelton’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Shelton flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2019
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Shelton, from FEMA’s records.
- The March 2019 Midwest Flooding1 claim · $3K
Shelton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Buffalo County.How exposed is Shelton?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from hail and inland flooding.
Rated higher than 871 of the 913 Nebraska towns we cover.
Shelton is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Shelton faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Hail
Inland flooding
Strong wind
Drought
Tornadoes
3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Shelton
Disasters that paid out in Shelton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Shelton) and its biggest flood years.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding10 households applied for aid$37K aid approved
- 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding5 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 2006Severe Winter Storms$48K to the Village of Shelton for repairs
Buffalo County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Old photos of Shelton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Shelton archive →Get ready for what Shelton actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Most disasters here begin in May–June
The month each of Buffalo County’s 17 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Shelton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Shelton.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Shelton.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.