Richardson County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Richardson County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Richardson County's highest-rated hazards are drought, wildfire, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 50 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. Richardson County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1967, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (10), flood (8), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 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 | 66.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 16.7 | 12 | 0 | $500K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 13.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 53.3 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 48.8 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.2 | 25 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 25.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 19.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 30.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 17.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 51.7 | 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
Richardson 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 | 41st | Low |
| Household characteristics | 58th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 24th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 12th | 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 | 57th | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 61st | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 39.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 50 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 26 in 2016–20 vs 24 in 2021–25 (-8% — 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 Richardson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Richardson County, Nebraska are drought, wildfire, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Richardson County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Richardson County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (10 declarations).
Has Richardson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Richardson County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Richardson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Atchison County, MO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Pawnee County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Richardson County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Richardson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Richardson 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. Richardson County's composite score of 14 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 14% of US counties.