Douglas County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Douglas County has experienced 29 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Douglas County's highest-rated hazards are hail, strong wind, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 79% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Douglas County has been designated in 29 declarations since 1967, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (15), flood (7), tornado (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2025 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2021 | 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 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 29 total declarations since 1967.
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 | Relatively Low | 88.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 95.1 | 58 | 0 | $1.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.5 | 8 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.4 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very High | 99.5 | 165 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 88.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80.8 | 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
Douglas County ranks in the 59th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 59th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 45th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 62nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 70th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 66th | Moderate |
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 | 53rd | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 59th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 8.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 237 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 85 in 2016–20 vs 152 in 2021–25 (+79% — 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 Douglas County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Douglas County, Nebraska are hail, strong wind, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Douglas County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Douglas County has received 29 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (15 declarations).
Has Douglas County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Douglas County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2026), Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Douglas County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Sarpy County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Washington County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Douglas County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Douglas County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Douglas 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. Douglas County's composite score of 96 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 96% of US counties.