Boone County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Boone County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Boone County's highest-rated hazards are hail, drought, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 76% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (2nd percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Boone County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1966, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (8), flood (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2018 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2010 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 20 total declarations since 1966.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 32 | 5 | 0 | $102K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 12.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 21.2 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.3 | 31 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 63.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 62.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 24.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 16.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Boone County ranks in the 2nd percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 2nd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 25th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 3rd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 3rd | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 35th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 40th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 39.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 47 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 17 in 2016–20 vs 30 in 2021–25 (+76% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Boone County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Boone County, Nebraska are hail, drought, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Boone County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Boone County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (8 declarations).
Has Boone County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Boone County include Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1966.
How does Boone County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Platte County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Wheeler County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Boone County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Boone County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Boone County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Boone County's composite score of 43 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 43% of US counties.