Johnson County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Johnson County has experienced 22 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Johnson County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, hail, and drought, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 41 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (29th 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. Johnson County has been designated in 22 declarations since 1967, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (11), flood (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornado, And Straight-Lin |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010 | Flood | Severe Storms, Ice Jams, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 22 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 | 77.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 3.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 29.5 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.7 | 31 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 16.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 33.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 41.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 15.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.3 | 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
Johnson County ranks in the 29th percentile (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 | 29th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 10th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 78th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 53rd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 35th | 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 | 69th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 77th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 57.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 41 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 20 in 2016–20 vs 21 in 2021–25 (+5% — relatively stable).
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 Johnson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Johnson County, Nebraska are wildfire, hail, and drought. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Johnson County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Johnson County has received 22 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (11 declarations).
Has Johnson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Johnson County include Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Johnson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Lancaster County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Pawnee County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Johnson County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Johnson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Johnson 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. Johnson County's composite score of 5 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 5% of US counties.