Phelps County, Nebraska: hazard risk
FEMA rates Phelps County's overall risk Very Low (score 39.2 of 100, higher than 39% 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 695 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 | 97.7 | $7.8M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.8 | $2.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 58.8 | $124K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 52.9 | $138K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 45.0 | $1.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 33.0 | $176K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 23.6 | $123K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 17.0 | $2.9M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 13.6 | $20K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 9.0 | $89K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 7.9 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 2.4 | $3 |
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 | 225 | 0 | $89M | 20th of 93 | 197th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 181 | 0 | $24M | 12th of 93 | 1204th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 114 | 0 | $16M | 16th of 93 | 639th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 50 | 0 | $63M | 16th of 93 | 370th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $1.6M | 18th of 93 | 512th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 1 | $16M | 29th of 93 | 674th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 0 | $71K | 48th of 93 | 995th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 13 | 0 | $7.3M | 46th of 93 | 2217th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | $4.5M | 17th of 93 | 627th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 44th of 93 | 2007th 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 Phelps County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.