Nebraska cold wave risk
Douglas County has the highest cold wave risk in Nebraska, scoring 97.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas County | 97.3 | Relatively High |
| 2 | Sarpy County | 82.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 3 | Dodge County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 4 | Lancaster County | 78.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 5 | Scotts Bluff County | 71.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 6 | Holt County | 64.9 | Relatively Low |
| 7 | Lincoln County | 64.9 | Relatively Low |
| 8 | Platte County | 61.2 | Relatively Low |
| 9 | Madison County | 60.3 | Relatively Low |
| 10 | Cherry County | 56.8 | Relatively Low |
| 11 | Knox County | 55.9 | Relatively Low |
| 12 | Cuming County | 54.2 | Relatively Low |
| 13 | Boone County | 53.1 | Relatively Low |
| 14 | Box Butte County | 48.3 | Relatively Low |
| 15 | Sheridan County | 46.1 | Relatively Low |
| 16 | Morrill County | 44.8 | Relatively Low |
| 17 | Burt County | 39.2 | Relatively Low |
| 18 | Colfax County | 39 | Relatively Low |
| 19 | Red Willow County | 37.6 | Relatively Low |
| 20 | Cass County | 37.4 | Relatively Low |
| 21 | Cheyenne County | 37.2 | Relatively Low |
| 22 | Keith County | 36.9 | Relatively Low |
| 23 | Washington County | 36.7 | Relatively Low |
| 24 | Boyd County | 36.4 | Relatively Low |
| 25 | Keya Paha County | 36.2 | Relatively Low |
| 26 | Thurston County | 34.9 | Relatively Low |
| 27 | Chase County | 34.1 | Relatively Low |
| 28 | Dawes County | 33.5 | Relatively Low |
| 29 | Brown County | 31.8 | Relatively Low |
| 30 | Hall County | 31.3 | Relatively Low |
| 31 | Richardson County | 30.7 | Relatively Low |
| 32 | Nemaha County | 29.7 | Relatively Low |
| 33 | Otoe County | 29.7 | Relatively Low |
| 34 | Dakota County | 29 | Relatively Low |
| 35 | Antelope County | 28.8 | Relatively Low |
| 36 | Cedar County | 27 | Relatively Low |
| 37 | Wayne County | 25.8 | Relatively Low |
| 38 | Butler County | 24.8 | Relatively Low |
| 39 | Stanton County | 24.8 | Relatively Low |
| 40 | Perkins County | 23 | Very Low |
| 41 | Dundy County | 22.8 | Very Low |
| 42 | Furnas County | 22.2 | Very Low |
| 43 | Kimball County | 21.6 | Very Low |
| 44 | Buffalo County | 21.5 | Very Low |
| 45 | York County | 21.4 | Very Low |
| 46 | Saline County | 21 | Very Low |
| 47 | Nance County | 20.7 | Very Low |
| 48 | Deuel County | 20.3 | Very Low |
| 49 | Sioux County | 20.2 | Very Low |
| 50 | Pierce County | 20.1 | Very Low |
| 51 | Adams County | 18.9 | Very Low |
| 52 | Dawson County | 18.5 | Very Low |
| 53 | Saunders County | 18.1 | Very Low |
| 54 | Hamilton County | 17.7 | Very Low |
| 55 | Dixon County | 17.3 | Very Low |
| 56 | Garden County | 17.2 | Very Low |
| 57 | Custer County | 16.9 | Very Low |
| 58 | Hitchcock County | 16.8 | Very Low |
| 59 | Rock County | 16.7 | Very Low |
| 60 | Valley County | 16.5 | Very Low |
| 61 | Gage County | 16.4 | Very Low |
| 62 | Polk County | 16 | Very Low |
| 63 | Frontier County | 15.8 | Very Low |
| 64 | Johnson County | 15.3 | Very Low |
| 65 | Harlan County | 14.1 | Very Low |
| 66 | Greeley County | 13.5 | Very Low |
| 67 | Banner County | 13.1 | Very Low |
| 68 | Hooker County | 13 | Very Low |
| 69 | Seward County | 12.6 | Very Low |
| 70 | Garfield County | 11.5 | Very Low |
| 71 | Sherman County | 10.8 | Very Low |
| 72 | Merrick County | 10.3 | Very Low |
| 73 | Clay County | 10.2 | Very Low |
| 74 | Wheeler County | 9.7 | Very Low |
| 75 | Gosper County | 9.4 | Very Low |
| 76 | Fillmore County | 9.3 | Very Low |
| 77 | Phelps County | 9 | Very Low |
| 78 | Thayer County | 8.8 | Very Low |
| 79 | Pawnee County | 8.6 | Very Low |
| 80 | Jefferson County | 8.1 | Very Low |
| 81 | Grant County | 7.9 | Very Low |
| 82 | Howard County | 7.8 | Very Low |
| 83 | Arthur County | 7.7 | Very Low |
| 84 | Webster County | 7.1 | Very Low |
| 85 | Nuckolls County | 7 | Very Low |
| 86 | Hayes County | 6.8 | Very Low |
| 87 | Kearney County | 6.8 | Very Low |
| 88 | Franklin County | 6.7 | Very Low |
| 89 | Thomas County | 6.6 | Very Low |
| 90 | Logan County | 6.2 | Very Low |
| 91 | McPherson County | 5.1 | Very Low |
| 92 | Loup County | 4.9 | Very Low |
| 93 | Blaine County | 4.8 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Cold Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Nebraska:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Nebraska?
Douglas County, NE has the highest cold wave risk in Nebraska, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes cold wave risk in Nebraska?
Cold wave risk captures expected losses from extended periods of extreme cold, including wind chill. The northern Plains, Great Lakes, and interior New England see the most severe and frequent cold events. Cold extremes cause significant excess mortality, especially among unhoused populations, the elderly, and those with inadequate heating or insulation. Cold and wind chill events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.