Clay County, Nebraska: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 56.0 of 100, higher than 56% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, strong wind, drought. Its storm record holds 844 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.4 | $8.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.6 | $5.0M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 93.1 | $2.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $245K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.3 | $102K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 54.3 | $1.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 53.5 | $286K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59.5 | $88K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.8 | $20K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 15.2 | $2.0M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.2 | $27K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 10.2 | $83K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 5.0 | $8 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 295 | 0 | $121M | 6th of 93 | 90th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 227 | 0 | $218M | 17th of 93 | 1316th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 122 | 0 | $3.4M | 15th of 93 | 638th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 52 | 0 | $112M | 7th of 93 | 185th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 46 | 0 | $56M | 28th of 93 | 484th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 37 | 0 | $1.9M | 28th of 93 | 666th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 31 | 0 | $212K | 11th of 93 | 481st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 13 | 0 | $11M | 47th of 93 | 2251st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 0 | $71K | 59th of 93 | 1097th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $681K | 5th of 93 | 972nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | $550K | 36th of 93 | 1858th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.