Sarpy County, NE
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Sarpy County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Sarpy County's highest-rated hazards are tornado, hail, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 28% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (8th 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. Sarpy County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1967, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (12), flood (8), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | 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 |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 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 | 81.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.6 | 18 | 0 | $420.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 28.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | 8 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.2 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97 | 61 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 53.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 69.1 | 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
Sarpy County ranks in the 8th 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 | 8th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 4th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 36th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 55th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 7th | 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 | 51st | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 54th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 14.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 91 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 53 in 2016–20 vs 38 in 2021–25 (-28% — frequency decreasing).
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 Sarpy County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Sarpy County, Nebraska are tornado, hail, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Sarpy County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Sarpy County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (12 declarations).
Has Sarpy County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Sarpy County include 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). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does Sarpy County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Douglas County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Otoe County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Sarpy County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Sarpy County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Sarpy 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. Sarpy County's composite score of 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.