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Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad DepotFremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad Depot · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Plainview · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Plainview faces more hazard damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Plainview gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then tornadoes (16%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 66%Tornadoes 16%Hail 5%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 78%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Nebraska · higher than 78% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
66% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 14 declared for Pierce County
By hazard

What Plainview faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

66%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hail

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Wildfire

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind top 5% Ice storms Winter storms top 1% Earthquakes Heat waves top 0% Lightning Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts hail at 21% of Plainview’s expected losses. Hail does little damage to buildings (5.4%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Plainview’s grade

River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Plainview, and Plainview’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 16%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Plainview sits
Plainview
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Plainview’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding66%Tornadoes16%Hail5%Everything else13%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across Plainview: $775K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Plainview’s 1,282 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Osmond city (794 residents) and Foster village (42 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Plainview flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Plainview. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Plainview isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pierce County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Plainview

Disasters that paid out in Plainview itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Plainview), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$48K aid approved$79K to the City of Plainview for repairs
  2. 2006Severe Winter Storms$74K to the City of Plainview for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PlainviewPierce County only

Pierce County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Plainview after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Plainview archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Plainview faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Plainview

Is Plainview at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Plainview has higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and tornadoes (16%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Plainview in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Pierce County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Plainview?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Plainview’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Plainview?

By FEMA money that reached Plainview, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): 20 households applied for aid, $48K approved, and $79K to the City of Plainview for repairs.

Is Plainview at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Plainview’s rate for it is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Plainview.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Plainview’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.