Natural disaster risk in Otoe County, Nebraska
Nebraska · population 15,885 · FIPS 31131
Overall: very low risk
Otoe County has a composite risk score of 18.0 out of 100 — higher than 18% of US counties. It ranks 53 of 93 in Nebraska (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hail, drought, wildfire.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Otoe County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 9 weeks in a row.
Drought in Otoe 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 18 |
| Expected annual loss About $11.0 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 39.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 10.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 90.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Otoe County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 67 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 58 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 51 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 50 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 48 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 29 |
| Landslide | Very low 48 |
| Winter weather | Very low 24 |
| Lightning | Very low 21 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 21 |
| Earthquake | Very low 11 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Otoe County
Federal declarations that designated Otoe County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Otoe County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration 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 |
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 Otoe County, Nebraska?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Otoe County as very low, with a score of 18.0 out of 100 (higher than 18% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Otoe County?
The hazards rated highest for Otoe County are hail (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Otoe County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Otoe County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Otoe County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Otoe County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4868-NE (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds), declared 21 May 2025.
Is Otoe County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Otoe County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 9 weeks in a row.
Every county in Nebraska, ranked · All states · Disasters near me