Natural disaster risk in Dakota County, Nebraska
Nebraska · population 21,545 · FIPS 31043
Overall: very low risk
Dakota County has a composite risk score of 36.0 out of 100 — higher than 36% of US counties. It ranks 25 of 93 in Nebraska (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hail, tornado, drought.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 52 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 41.72% of Dakota County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 52 weeks in a row.
Drought in Dakota County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Very low 36 |
| Expected annual loss About $11.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 40.6 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 34.2 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 8 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Dakota County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively moderate 86 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 75 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 64 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 78 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 73 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 60 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 51 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 50 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 29 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 25 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 33 |
| Earthquake | Very low 14 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Dakota County
Federal declarations that designated Dakota County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Dakota County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4868-NE (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds), declared 21 May 2025.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4868-NE | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds | 21 May 2025 | No |
| DR-4822-NE | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 24 Sep 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Nebraska, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Dakota County, Nebraska?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Dakota County as very low, with a score of 36.0 out of 100 (higher than 36% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Dakota County?
The hazards rated highest for Dakota County are hail (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Dakota County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Dakota County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Dakota County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Dakota County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4868-NE (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds), declared 21 May 2025.
Is Dakota County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 41.72% of Dakota County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 52 weeks in a row.
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