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Kendall House (Superior, Nebraska) from SWPhoto: Ammodramus · Public domain
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Superior · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Superior than in 81% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Superior gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (35%), then hail (22%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1997.

River and rain flooding 35%Hail 22%Strong wind 19%

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 81%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 81% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
35% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 1997 · $7K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 18 declared for Nuckolls County
By hazard

What Superior 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

35%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hail

22%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

19%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 2% Winter storms top 3% Lightning top 1% Earthquakes Wildfire Heat waves top 0% Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Superior’s grade

River and rain flooding is 35% of the building damage FEMA expects in Superior, and Superior’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 22%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Superior sits
Superior
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding35%Hail22%Strong wind19%Everything else23%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Superior: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Superior’s 1,825 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Superior flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1997

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Superior, from FEMA’s records: 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1997: 1 claim1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 1 claim2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199720012011
19972026
Biggest named events
  • The Late spring storms1 claim · $3K
3
paid claims since 1997
$7K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$2K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Nuckolls County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Superior

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

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$163K to the City of Superior for repairs
  2. 2025Severe Winter Storm and Straight-line Winds$23K to the City of Superior for repairs
  3. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$416K to the City of Superior for repairs
  4. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$11K to the City of Superior for repairs
  5. 2010Severe Storms and Flooding$110K to the City of Superior for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SuperiorNuckolls County only

Nuckolls County has had 18 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 Superior after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Superior archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Superior 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Superior

Is Superior at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Superior has higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (35%) and hail (22%). 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.

Does Superior flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Superior since 1997, $7K in all, or 3.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Late spring storms (1).

Is Superior 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 Nuckolls County, 2% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Superior?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Superior’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 Superior?

By FEMA money that reached Superior, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): $416K to the City of Superior for repairs. By flood claims, Late spring storms: 1 paid, $3K.

Is Superior at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (35%), and Superior’s rate for it is lower than 60% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Superior.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Superior’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.