FEMA Records
12
Low volume
Nebraska · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Chase County, NE
12 FEMA disaster declarations (1990-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 10
- Major disasters
- 7
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Chase County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 12 declarations, more than 14% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 29% below the Nebraska county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county safer than 7%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Safer than 7%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 12
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 8
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Chase County compare?
Chase County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
12 14th percentile higher than 14% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Chase County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Nebraska county average
What does Chase County's hazard record show?
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Chase County's 12 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Nebraska, however, the count is 29% below the county mean. 10 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Severe Storm, appearing 8 times. The full 30-year record averages 0.4 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 6.7/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.8M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Very Low). Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hail carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 8 times per year here, based on 303 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
No paid-claim row for this county appears in the NFIP county table used by PlainHazard. That absence is not evidence that flooding never occurred: the register observes claims under federal flood-insurance policies, not uninsured losses, emergency reports, or every flood outside the program. The FEMA declaration history below is therefore the available federal-action record on this page.
Start with the state benchmark: a Nebraska county averages 16.8 federal declaration records, while Chase County has 12. The gap is 29% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
49 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Chase County, NE · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
9/30
12 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
12 declarations (0.7x state county average of 17)
Major Disaster Share Very High
21/25
10 of 12 declarations are major disasters (83%)
Hazard Diversity High
10/20
4 different disaster types declared in Chase County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Nebraska Avg
-29%
State avg: 16.8
vs. National Avg
-42%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 30 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Chase County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
83%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
7
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Chase County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 8 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 91 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 4.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 2,355 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 3.2 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 13 times per year |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 44 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 12 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 2.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 3,968 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 8
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Flood 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Chase County's record, 67% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 10 83.3%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 2 16.7%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 12 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 12 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4521 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3483 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4014 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-08-12 |
| 1924 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-07-15 |
| 1853 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-07-31 |
| 1770 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-20 |
| 1721 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-29 |
| 1674 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-01-07 |
| 3245 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUEES | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1373 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-05-16 |
| 998 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-07-19 |
| 873 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1990-07-04 |
Storm Events in Nebraska
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Chase County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 6,079 | 0 | 2 | $237.7M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,757 | 3 | 19 | $228.1M |
| Drought | 1,658 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 1,647 | 1 | 1 | $22.1M |
| Winter Storm | 1,155 | 0 | 2 | $335.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 6.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
For Chase County the two measures on this page point the same way: Hail is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively Moderate), and Severe Storm declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Chase County's closest FEMA peer: Jefferson County, IA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Chase County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Chase County shows 12 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Chase County: 10 of 12 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Chase County: NRI composite 6.7 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Chase County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 12 FEMA declarations, Chase County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Chase County?
The most common disaster type in Chase County is Severe Storm, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Hurricane (1), Flood (1).
How does Chase County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Nebraska average?
The typical Nebraska county has 16.8 FEMA declaration records; Chase County has 12, or 29% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 42% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Chase County received?
Chase County has received 10 major disaster declarations, representing 83% of all 12 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Chase County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Chase County was 2007, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1990 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Chase County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Chase County, Nebraska has an overall risk score of 6.7 out of 100 (Very Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Very Low; on community resilience, Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Chase County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Chase County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Drought (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 8 times per year, drawn from 303 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Chase County
Against a Nebraska county mean of 17 declarations, Chase County, NE records 12, or 29% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (10 of 12) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Nebraska overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 14% of recorded county totals, but its own Nebraska benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- With no NFIP county row, the declaration register and modeled NRI remain distinct evidence rather than substitutes for a claims history. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.