Merrick County, Nebraska: hazard risk
FEMA rates Merrick County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 42.9 of 100, higher than 42% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, drought. Its storm record holds 660 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 | 96.9 | $4.4M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.8 | $2.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 68.1 | $213K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.7 | $96K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51.5 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 37.2 | $4.7M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 50.1 | $51K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.3 | $18K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 13.4 | $50K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.9 | $30K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 10.3 | $86K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 1.8 | $2 |
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 | 194 | 0 | $154M | 17th of 93 | 166th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 163 | 2 | $11M | 9th of 93 | 543rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 126 | 0 | $21M | 11th of 93 | 1203rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 55 | 0 | $56M | 9th of 93 | 307th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $2.4M | 25th of 93 | 616th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 0 | $18M | 39th of 93 | 984th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 0 | $71K | 45th of 93 | 978th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 18 | 0 | $14M | 29th of 93 | 1828th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $71K | 23rd of 93 | 741st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 41st of 93 | 1967th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $194K | 23rd of 93 | 1394th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Merrick County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.