Pawnee County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Pawnee County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes in 2022. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Pawnee County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, drought, and hail, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 43 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Pawnee County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1967, covering 5 disaster types including severe storm (10), flood (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2014 | 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 20 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 | 78.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 7.6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 27.2 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.2 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 50.2 | 28 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 15.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 35.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 8.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 9.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 53.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.4 | 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
Pawnee County ranks in the 49th 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 | 49th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 44th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 92nd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 10th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 32nd | 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 | 74th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 81st | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 59.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 43 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 9 in 2016–20 vs 34 in 2021–25 .
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 Pawnee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Pawnee County, Nebraska are wildfire, drought, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Pawnee County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Pawnee County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2022. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (10 declarations).
Has Pawnee County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Pawnee County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes in 2022.
How does Pawnee County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Gage County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Johnson County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Pawnee County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Pawnee County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Pawnee 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. Pawnee County's composite score of 4 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 4% of US counties.