States › Nebraska › Otoe County
Otoe County, Nebraska
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 644 storm events in Otoe County, Nebraska, led by hail.
That is 104.6 events per 100 square miles, above the Nebraska figure of 83.3, and 404.3 per 10,000 residents against 325.9 statewide.
9 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 5 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $30M and crop damage at $6.8M.
FEMA has designated the county in 23 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (major disaster, 21 May 2025).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 27 claims since 1978, of which 24 were paid, totalling $416K (about $17K per paid claim). FEMA counts 15 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($11M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Nebraska and the United States
| Measure | Otoe County | Nebraska | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 644 | 64,002 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 104.6 | 83.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 404.3 | 325.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 9 | 1,590 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 182 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $30M | $5.1B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 3.1 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $17K | $22K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 13.3 | 23.8 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 355 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 220 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 2002 | High Wind | Wind | 69 mph | — | — | 1 | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 26 Apr 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 22 May 2004 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $20M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1965 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 May 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 May 1996 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $620K | $6.0M | — | — | County |
| 25 Oct 1997 | Heavy Snow | Winter | — | $5.0M | $150K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Oct 1996 | Winter Storm | Winter | — | — | $500K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Aug 1958 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1982 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 69 mph | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2010 | Flood | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2014 | Tornado | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | $100K | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 2025 | DR-4868 | Major disaster | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds | Public assistance |
| 23 Feb 2022 | DR-4641 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 4 Apr 2020 | DR-4521 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3483 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 21 Mar 2019 | DR-4420 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Jun 2015 | DR-4225 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 12 Aug 2011 | DR-4013 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 18 Jun 2011 | EM-3323 | Emergency | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 21 Oct 2010 | DR-1945 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornado, And Straight-Lin | Public assistance |
| 15 Jul 2010 | DR-1924 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 21 Apr 2010 | DR-1902 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Feb 2010 | DR-1878 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Public assistance |
| 20 Jun 2008 | DR-1770 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 11 Jan 2008 | DR-1739 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 6 Jun 2007 | DR-1706 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 13 Sep 2005 | EM-3245 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuees | Public assistance |
| 25 May 2004 | DR-1517 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 1 Nov 1997 | DR-1190 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Snow Storms, Rain, And Strong Winds | Public assistance |
| 25 Jun 1996 | DR-1123 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 19 Jul 1993 | DR-998 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 1992 | DR-954 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 3 Jul 1984 | DR-716 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornadoes & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 20 Oct 1973 | DR-406 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | $7,041 | $7,041 |
| 2011 | 5 | 5 | $333,646 | $66,729 |
| 2010 | 6 | 6 | $25,064 | $4,177 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | $335 | $335 |
| 1993 | 2 | 2 | $11,251 | $5,625 |
| 1984 | 5 | 4 | $22,675 | $5,669 |
| 1982 | 2 | 2 | $4,328 | $2,164 |
| 1979 | 1 | 1 | $673 | $673 |
| 1978 | 2 | 2 | $10,717 | $5,358 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $4,159,408 | |
| Tornado | $2,052,007 | |
| Hail | $1,349,840 | |
| Strong wind | $863,300 | |
| Drought | $683,963 | |
| Cold wave | $663,859 | |
| Heat wave | $659,517 | |
| Wildfire | $234,708 | |
| Ice storm | $204,870 | |
| Lightning | $119,029 | |
| Winter weather | $36,146 | |
| Earthquake | $18,733 | |
| Landslide | $2,028 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Otoe County, NE?
NCEI records 217 hail events in Otoe County since 1950, in 41 different years; that is about 2.8 recorded events a year. 48 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Otoe County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 31 tornadoes in Otoe County since 1950, 6 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Otoe County?
21 May 2025: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds, a major disaster declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 23 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Otoe County, and how much was paid?
27 NFIP claims since 1978, 24 of them paid, for $416K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Otoe County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Otoe County compare with the rest of Nebraska?
104.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 83.3 statewide, and 1.7 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 3.1. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.