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Nebraska drought risk

93 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Morrill County has the highest drought risk in Nebraska, scoring 97.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Morrill County 97.1 Relatively High 0
2 Box Butte County 96.6 Relatively High 0
3 Scotts Bluff County 95.9 Relatively High 0
4 Furnas County 95.2 Relatively High 0
5 Dawson County 94.3 Relatively High 0
6 Clay County 93.1 Relatively High 0
7 Harlan County 92.8 Relatively High 0
8 Webster County 92.7 Relatively High 0
9 Adams County 91.9 Relatively High 0
10 Hall County 91.8 Relatively High 0
11 Merrick County 91.8 Relatively High 0
12 Phelps County 91.8 Relatively High 0
13 Cheyenne County 91.7 Relatively High 0
14 Boone County 90.4 Relatively Moderate 0
15 Franklin County 90.4 Relatively Moderate 0
16 Kearney County 89.8 Relatively Moderate 0
17 Cuming County 89.7 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Valley County 89.4 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Sherman County 88.7 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Nuckolls County 87.3 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Buffalo County 87.2 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Howard County 87.2 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Fillmore County 87 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Red Willow County 86.5 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Gosper County 86.2 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Platte County 86 Relatively Moderate 0
27 Cedar County 85.6 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Thayer County 85.6 Relatively Moderate 0
29 York County 85.5 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Burt County 85.4 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Thurston County 85.1 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Nance County 84.9 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Hamilton County 84.4 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Antelope County 84.2 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Knox County 83.7 Relatively Moderate 0
36 Greeley County 82.4 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Deuel County 82 Relatively Moderate 0
38 Polk County 81.3 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Holt County 81.1 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Lincoln County 80.8 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Sheridan County 80.7 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Kimball County 78.7 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Dodge County 78.6 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Madison County 78.1 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Saline County 77.9 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Richardson County 77.6 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Saunders County 77.1 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Hitchcock County 77 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Nemaha County 76.8 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Butler County 76 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Keith County 75.9 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Dakota County 74.5 Relatively Moderate 0
53 Garden County 74.5 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Custer County 74.3 Relatively Moderate 0
55 Dixon County 73.9 Relatively Moderate 0
56 Boyd County 73.8 Relatively Moderate 0
57 Frontier County 73.2 Relatively Moderate 0
58 Wayne County 72.9 Relatively Moderate 0
59 Perkins County 72.2 Relatively Moderate 0
60 Pierce County 72.2 Relatively Moderate 0
61 Colfax County 71 Relatively Moderate 0
62 Sioux County 70.5 Relatively Moderate 0
63 Stanton County 70.2 Relatively Moderate 0
64 Washington County 69.9 Relatively Moderate 0
65 Cherry County 69.8 Relatively Moderate 0
66 Lancaster County 69.8 Relatively Moderate 0
67 Cass County 69 Relatively Moderate 0
68 Dundy County 68.6 Relatively Moderate 0
69 Chase County 68 Relatively Moderate 0
70 Brown County 67.9 Relatively Moderate 0
71 Banner County 66.9 Relatively Moderate 0
72 Dawes County 66.7 Relatively Moderate 0
73 Otoe County 66.5 Relatively Moderate 0
74 Jefferson County 66.2 Relatively Moderate 0
75 Seward County 64.9 Relatively Moderate 0
76 Gage County 63.5 Relatively Low 0
77 Douglas County 62.1 Relatively Low 0
78 Hayes County 56.6 Relatively Low 0
79 Sarpy County 53.9 Relatively Low 0
80 Pawnee County 53.4 Relatively Low 0
81 Arthur County 50.7 Relatively Low 0
82 Wheeler County 48.4 Relatively Low 0
83 Keya Paha County 48.3 Relatively Low 0
84 Johnson County 45.9 Relatively Low 0
85 Logan County 44.2 Relatively Low 0
86 Rock County 42.6 Relatively Low 0
87 McPherson County 41.6 Relatively Low 0
88 Garfield County 41.4 Relatively Low 0
89 Blaine County 40.6 Relatively Low 0
90 Hooker County 38.6 Relatively Low 0
91 Thomas County 34.4 Relatively Low 0
92 Loup County 33 Relatively Low 0
93 Grant County 32.9 Relatively Low 0

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.

Drought risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Nebraska:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest drought risk county in Nebraska?

Morrill County, NE has the highest drought risk in Nebraska, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").

What causes drought risk in Nebraska?

Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.