Natural hazards · Sidney

Sidney, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sidney comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sidney?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sidney to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes11%Ice storms10%Hail9%Cold waves7%Lightning6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Sidney faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Ice storms

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Lower here

Winter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Sidney flood?

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

1paid claims since 1978

$411paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cheyenne County.

Disasters that hit Sidney

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SidneyDeclared for Cheyenne County only

2018

Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds

$10K to the City of Sidney for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$104K to the City of Sidney for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$15K to the City of Sidney for repairs

Cheyenne County has had 8 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. Sidney covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sidney’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sidney. 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 Sidney total about $2.3M 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.