Natural hazards · Valley

Valley, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 166 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Valley?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Valley to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes19%Hail11%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 26 years 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

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Valley flood?

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

166paid claims since 1978

$2.4Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 103 claims, $2.0M
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $11K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Valley is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Douglas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

77flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Valley

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ValleyDeclared for Douglas County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

480 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved $2.3M to the City of Valley for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$29K to the City of Valley for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$23K to the City of Valley for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$10K to the City of Valley for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$48K to the City of Valley for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $16K to the City of Valley for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

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

Around Valley

Valley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lesharamostly inland floodingHigh

Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

King Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

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. Valley is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Valley. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.