Natural hazards · Waterloo

Waterloo, NE natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waterloo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waterloo?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waterloo to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes14%Hail7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Waterloo faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 41 years in the area

Hail

7% 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 Waterloo flood?

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

8paid claims since 1978

$331Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $277K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Waterloo 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

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Waterloo

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaterlooDeclared for Douglas County only

2024

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

$85K to the Village of Waterloo for repairs

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

22 households applied for aid $51K aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

249 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $28K to the Village of Waterloo for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$70K to the Village of Waterloo for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$5K to the Village of Waterloo for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $642 aid approved

Douglas County has had 24 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. Waterloo 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 Waterloo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Waterloo. 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.