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Saint Paul, Nebraska water tower 2Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in St. Paul · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, St. Paul faces more hazard damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Paul gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%), then hail (18%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 52%Hail 18%Tornadoes 13%

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 85%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 85% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
52% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 21 declared for Howard County
By hazard

What St. Paul 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

52%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13%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

Strong wind

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 3% Winter storms top 1% Wildfire Earthquakes Lightning top 2% Cold waves Heat waves top 3% 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 34% of St. Paul’s expected losses. Hail does little damage to buildings (17.6%), 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 St. Paul’s grade

River and rain flooding is 52% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Paul, and St. Paul’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 18%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where St. Paul sits
St. Paul
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding52%Hail18%Tornadoes13%Everything else17%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.3M a year in losses across St. Paul: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of St. Paul’s 2,416 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Dannebrog village (273 residents) and Elba village (192 residents) and Howard City (Boelus) village (181 residents) and Farwell village (138 residents) and Cotesfield village (29 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 St. Paul flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Howard County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Paul

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

  1. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding50 households applied for aid$78K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$56K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
  3. 2006Severe Winter Storms$7K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
  4. 2003Severe Storms and Tornadoes$3K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in St. PaulHoward County only

Howard County has had 21 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 St. Paul after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the St. Paul archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what St. Paul 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 St. Paul

Is St. Paul at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Paul has higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%) and hail (18%). 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 St. Paul 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 Howard County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in St. Paul?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Paul’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 St. Paul?

By FEMA money that reached St. Paul, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): 50 households applied for aid, $78K approved.

Is St. Paul at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (52%), and St. Paul’s rate for it is higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Paul.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Paul’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.