Drought Risk in Nebraska
All Nebraska counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 93 of 93 Nebraska counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Morrill County carries the state's highest drought score at 97.1, with $3M in expected annual drought losses.
13 Nebraska counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $103M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrill County | High | 83.14 / yr | $3M | |
| 2 | Box Butte County | High | 84.33 / yr | $4M | |
| 3 | Scotts Bluff County | High | 80.56 / yr | $3M | |
| 4 | Furnas County | High | 69.83 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Dawson County | High | 49.57 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Clay County | High | 34.29 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Harlan County | High | 51.27 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Webster County | High | 36.03 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Adams County | High | 40.70 / yr | $2M | |
| 10 | Hall County | High | 45.86 / yr | $2M | |
| 11 | Merrick County | High | 55.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 12 | Phelps County | High | 48.33 / yr | $3M | |
| 13 | Cheyenne County | High | 80.12 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Boone County | Medium | 39.52 / yr | $2M | |
| 15 | Franklin County | Medium | 44.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 16 | Kearney County | Medium | 42.18 / yr | $2M | |
| 17 | Cuming County | Medium | 40.83 / yr | $1M | |
| 18 | Valley County | Medium | 31.57 / yr | $2M | |
| 19 | Sherman County | Medium | 34.36 / yr | $2M | |
| 20 | Nuckolls County | Medium | 28.49 / yr | $2M | |
| 21 | Buffalo County | Medium | 39.82 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | Howard County | Medium | 41.51 / yr | $2M | |
| 23 | Fillmore County | Medium | 28.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 24 | Red Willow County | Medium | 98.12 / yr | $1M | |
| 25 | Gosper County | Medium | 52.93 / yr | $2M | |
| 26 | Platte County | Medium | 42.85 / yr | $1M | |
| 27 | Thayer County | Medium | 27.83 / yr | $1M | |
| 28 | Cedar County | Medium | 35.23 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | York County | Medium | 27.97 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Burt County | Medium | 37.73 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Thurston County | Medium | 42.29 / yr | $955K | |
| 32 | Nance County | Medium | 50.16 / yr | $1M | |
| 33 | Hamilton County | Medium | 41.66 / yr | $2M | |
| 34 | Antelope County | Medium | 37.59 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Knox County | Medium | 31.97 / yr | $1M | |
| 36 | Greeley County | Medium | 33.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Deuel County | Medium | 80.09 / yr | $861K | |
| 38 | Polk County | Medium | 42.94 / yr | $1M | |
| 39 | Holt County | Medium | 45.75 / yr | $1M | |
| 40 | Lincoln County | Medium | 88.85 / yr | $1M | |
| 41 | Sheridan County | Medium | 65.28 / yr | $837K | |
| 42 | Kimball County | Medium | 78.42 / yr | $785K | |
| 43 | Dodge County | Medium | 47.10 / yr | $1M | |
| 44 | Madison County | Medium | 43.87 / yr | $1M | |
| 45 | Saline County | Medium | 24.31 / yr | $756K | |
| 46 | Richardson County | Medium | 9.70 / yr | $812K | |
| 47 | Saunders County | Medium | 31.13 / yr | $1M | |
| 48 | Hitchcock County | Medium | 96.71 / yr | $707K | |
| 49 | Nemaha County | Medium | 11.48 / yr | $703K | |
| 50 | Butler County | Medium | 43.47 / yr | $910K | |
| 51 | Keith County | Medium | 97.97 / yr | $821K | |
| 52 | Dakota County | Medium | 46.49 / yr | $686K | |
| 53 | Garden County | Medium | 77.04 / yr | $858K | |
| 54 | Custer County | Medium | 42.88 / yr | $808K | |
| 55 | Dixon County | Medium | 35.95 / yr | $885K | |
| 56 | Boyd County | Medium | 36.86 / yr | $883K | |
| 57 | Frontier County | Medium | 87.29 / yr | $462K | |
| 58 | Wayne County | Medium | 37.90 / yr | $988K | |
| 59 | Pierce County | Medium | 34.95 / yr | $852K | |
| 60 | Perkins County | Medium | 91.73 / yr | $829K | |
| 61 | Colfax County | Medium | 41.00 / yr | $750K | |
| 62 | Sioux County | Medium | 96.44 / yr | $670K | |
| 63 | Stanton County | Medium | 35.27 / yr | $628K | |
| 64 | Washington County | Medium | 25.26 / yr | $852K | |
| 65 | Lancaster County | Medium | 17.22 / yr | $653K | |
| 66 | Cherry County | Medium | 67.64 / yr | $439K | |
| 67 | Cass County | Medium | 12.72 / yr | $754K | |
| 68 | Dundy County | Medium | 79.26 / yr | $645K | |
| 69 | Chase County | Medium | 90.62 / yr | $619K | |
| 70 | Brown County | Medium | 42.12 / yr | $548K | |
| 71 | Banner County | Medium | 87.02 / yr | $584K | |
| 72 | Dawes County | Medium | 74.44 / yr | $559K | |
| 73 | Otoe County | Medium | 13.58 / yr | $684K | |
| 74 | Jefferson County | Medium | 25.01 / yr | $424K | |
| 75 | Seward County | Medium | 28.74 / yr | $631K | |
| 76 | Gage County | Low | 15.29 / yr | $424K | |
| 77 | Douglas County | Low | 14.46 / yr | $377K | |
| 78 | Hayes County | Low | 91.17 / yr | $259K | |
| 79 | Sarpy County | Low | 12.06 / yr | $302K | |
| 80 | Pawnee County | Low | 8.59 / yr | $166K | |
| 81 | Arthur County | Low | 70.94 / yr | $197K | |
| 82 | Wheeler County | Low | 32.15 / yr | $128K | |
| 83 | Keya Paha County | Low | 36.86 / yr | $82K | |
| 84 | Johnson County | Low | 13.40 / yr | $158K | |
| 85 | Logan County | Low | 49.60 / yr | $128K | |
| 86 | Rock County | Low | 36.30 / yr | $117K | |
| 87 | McPherson County | Low | 57.36 / yr | $115K | |
| 88 | Garfield County | Low | 31.04 / yr | $73K | |
| 89 | Blaine County | Low | 43.51 / yr | $65K | |
| 90 | Hooker County | Low | 58.19 / yr | $45K | |
| 91 | Thomas County | Low | 56.53 / yr | $58K | |
| 92 | Loup County | Low | 33.81 / yr | $48K | |
| 93 | Grant County | Low | 58.75 / yr | $45K |
93 Nebraska counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Nebraska counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Nebraska county has the highest drought risk?
Morrill County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Nebraska at 97.1 (High), with $3M in expected annual losses and about 83.14 events per year.
How many Nebraska counties face significant drought risk?
93 Nebraska counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 13 of them are rated High or Very High.