FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Nebraska · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Garden County, NE
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2024–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 3
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Garden County in the top 97% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Garden County compare?
- Garden County
- 2
- Nebraska county avg
- 2.2
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Garden County?
Garden County, Nebraska has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2024 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 7% below the Nebraska county average of 2.2 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 2.8/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $3.1M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Very Low social-vulnerability profile and Relatively Low community resilience. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Drought carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Garden County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Nebraska Avg
-7%
State avg: 2.2
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Garden County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Garden County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
31069
NE state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5623 | MORRILL-COTTONWOOD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2026-03-13 |
| 4786 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-05-24 |
Storm Events in Nebraska
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 6,520 | 0 | 2 | $243.7M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,107 | 4 | 27 | $271.2M |
| High Wind | 1,965 | 1 | 1 | $22.2M |
| Drought | 1,850 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | 1,274 | 7 | 4 | $385.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 2.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$3.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Drought Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Nebraska
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Garden County, Nebraska had?
Garden County, Nebraska has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2024 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Garden County?
The most common disaster type in Garden County is Severe Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Fire (1).
How does Garden County's disaster risk compare to the Nebraska average?
Garden County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 7% lower than the Nebraska county average of 2.2 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Garden County received?
Garden County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Nebraska?
The most common storm types in Nebraska include Hail (6,520 events), Thunderstorm Wind (5,107 events), High Wind (1,965 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Garden County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Garden County was 2024, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2024 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Garden County?
Garden County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Garden County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Garden County, Nebraska has an overall risk score of 2.8 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $3.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Garden County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Garden County is Drought (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively Moderate) and Wildfire (Very Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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 Garden County
Garden County, NE has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 7% below the Nebraska county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (1 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Nebraska overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
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. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.