Tornado Risk in Nebraska
All Nebraska counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index tornado score
Tornado risk — violently rotating columns of air capable of catastrophic local damage — is rated for 93 of 93 Nebraska counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Douglas County carries the state's highest tornado score at 99.4, with $64M in expected annual tornado losses.
4 Nebraska counties are rated High or Very High for tornado, and expected annual losses from tornado total roughly $259M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Tornado
| # | County | Tornado Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas County | Very High | 0.29 / yr | $64M | |
| 2 | Lancaster County | High | 0.78 / yr | $42M | |
| 3 | Sarpy County | High | 0.21 / yr | $29M | |
| 4 | Platte County | High | 0.55 / yr | $9M | |
| 5 | Hall County | Medium | 0.52 / yr | $8M | |
| 6 | Dodge County | Medium | 0.44 / yr | $6M | |
| 7 | Madison County | Medium | 0.42 / yr | $6M | |
| 8 | Adams County | Medium | 0.57 / yr | $5M | |
| 9 | Gage County | Medium | 0.80 / yr | $4M | |
| 10 | Dakota County | Medium | 0.21 / yr | $3M | |
| 11 | Dawson County | Medium | 0.71 / yr | $3M | |
| 12 | Buffalo County | Medium | 0.85 / yr | $4M | |
| 13 | Cuming County | Medium | 0.43 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Saline County | Medium | 0.57 / yr | $2M | |
| 15 | York County | Medium | 0.56 / yr | $3M | |
| 16 | Washington County | Medium | 0.32 / yr | $4M | |
| 17 | Cass County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $3M | |
| 18 | Lincoln County | Low | 1.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 19 | Scotts Bluff County | Low | 0.44 / yr | $2M | |
| 20 | Seward County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $3M | |
| 21 | Saunders County | Low | 0.66 / yr | $3M | |
| 22 | Colfax County | Low | 0.34 / yr | $2M | |
| 23 | Clay County | Low | 0.59 / yr | $2M | |
| 24 | Knox County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $1M | |
| 25 | Boone County | Low | 0.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 26 | Thurston County | Low | 0.30 / yr | $1M | |
| 27 | Merrick County | Low | 0.44 / yr | $1M | |
| 28 | Hamilton County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | Butler County | Low | 0.52 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Jefferson County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Otoe County | Low | 0.53 / yr | $2M | |
| 32 | Custer County | Low | 1.55 / yr | $2M | |
| 33 | Thayer County | Low | 0.56 / yr | $1M | |
| 34 | Nemaha County | Low | 0.35 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Richardson County | Low | 0.44 / yr | $1M | |
| 36 | Burt County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Phelps County | Low | 0.44 / yr | $2M | |
| 38 | Antelope County | Low | 0.54 / yr | $1M | |
| 39 | Wayne County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $2M | |
| 40 | Cedar County | Low | 0.57 / yr | $1M | |
| 41 | Webster County | Low | 0.59 / yr | $709K | |
| 42 | Fillmore County | Low | 0.58 / yr | $1M | |
| 43 | Pierce County | Low | 0.40 / yr | $1M | |
| 44 | Red Willow County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $1M | |
| 45 | Holt County | Low | 1.19 / yr | $871K | |
| 46 | Stanton County | Low | 0.32 / yr | $970K | |
| 47 | Nuckolls County | Low | 0.58 / yr | $881K | |
| 48 | Furnas County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $602K | |
| 49 | Polk County | Low | 0.40 / yr | $1M | |
| 50 | Howard County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $983K | |
| 51 | Harlan County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $704K | |
| 52 | Kearney County | Low | 0.48 / yr | $989K | |
| 53 | Dixon County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $956K | |
| 54 | Cheyenne County | Low | 0.90 / yr | $879K | |
| 55 | Nance County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $752K | |
| 56 | Franklin County | Low | 0.53 / yr | $497K | |
| 57 | Box Butte County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $611K | |
| 58 | Valley County | Low | 0.39 / yr | $547K | |
| 59 | Frontier County | Low | 0.66 / yr | $361K | |
| 60 | Johnson County | Low | 0.33 / yr | $675K | |
| 61 | Pawnee County | Low | 0.37 / yr | $405K | |
| 62 | Keith County | Low | 0.63 / yr | $483K | |
| 63 | Cherry County | Low | 1.86 / yr | $339K | |
| 64 | Chase County | Very Low | 0.69 / yr | $494K | |
| 65 | Morrill County | Very Low | 0.86 / yr | $322K | |
| 66 | Sherman County | Very Low | 0.44 / yr | $379K | |
| 67 | Greeley County | Very Low | 0.43 / yr | $494K | |
| 68 | Hitchcock County | Very Low | 0.54 / yr | $321K | |
| 69 | Kimball County | Very Low | 0.81 / yr | $302K | |
| 70 | Sheridan County | Very Low | 0.90 / yr | $265K | |
| 71 | Dawes County | Very Low | 0.52 / yr | $354K | |
| 72 | Gosper County | Very Low | 0.34 / yr | $315K | |
| 73 | Perkins County | Very Low | 0.61 / yr | $314K | |
| 74 | Brown County | Very Low | 0.45 / yr | $267K | |
| 75 | Garfield County | Very Low | 0.33 / yr | $191K | |
| 76 | Deuel County | Very Low | 0.29 / yr | $155K | |
| 77 | Wheeler County | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $181K | |
| 78 | Dundy County | Very Low | 0.77 / yr | $243K | |
| 79 | Boyd County | Very Low | 0.26 / yr | $179K | |
| 80 | Garden County | Very Low | 0.96 / yr | $156K | |
| 81 | Keya Paha County | Very Low | 0.28 / yr | $73K | |
| 82 | Rock County | Very Low | 0.42 / yr | $153K | |
| 83 | Hayes County | Very Low | 0.50 / yr | $128K | |
| 84 | Hooker County | Very Low | 0.25 / yr | $65K | |
| 85 | Sioux County | Very Low | 0.86 / yr | $107K | |
| 86 | Blaine County | Very Low | 0.31 / yr | $61K | |
| 87 | Loup County | Very Low | 0.29 / yr | $90K | |
| 88 | Logan County | Very Low | 0.26 / yr | $65K | |
| 89 | Thomas County | Very Low | 0.27 / yr | $62K | |
| 90 | Banner County | Very Low | 0.52 / yr | $54K | |
| 91 | Grant County | Very Low | 0.30 / yr | $39K | |
| 92 | Arthur County | Very Low | 0.33 / yr | $38K | |
| 93 | McPherson County | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $33K |
93 Nebraska counties with measurable tornado risk. See the national tornado ranking or all Nebraska counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Nebraska county has the highest tornado risk?
Douglas County has the highest FEMA tornado risk score in Nebraska at 99.4 (Very High), with $64M in expected annual losses and about 0.29 events per year.
How many Nebraska counties face significant tornado risk?
93 Nebraska counties record measurable tornado risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 4 of them are rated High or Very High.