–Not graded

Natural hazards in Lincoln · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Lincoln

Lincoln isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lincoln has 955 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2010.

Flood claims

paid since 2010 · $7K

Disasters paid out here

of 12 declared for Monroe County

By hazard

What Lincoln 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

79%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Hail

9%of expected building damage

Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Smaller shares here

Strong wind Lightning Wildfire Earthquakes Winter storms Hurricanes Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 32% of Lincoln’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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.

Flood insurance claims

Does Lincoln flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2010

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lincoln, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year

20102025

20102026

paid claims since 2010

$7K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$4K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Monroe County.

Disasters

The storms Lincoln remembers

None of the 12 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lincoln itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

20101 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
20251 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in LincolnMonroe County only

Monroe County has had 12 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 Lincoln after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Lincoln archive →

Next door

Lincoln and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

GrantScottLa GrangeKnappLincoln

Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth

Town	Hazard risk	Mostly (buildings)	Flood claims
La Grange	B⁻less damage than 52%	river and rain flooding	—
Grant	—	487 residents; we grade 1,000+
Scott	—	51 residents; we grade 1,000+
Knapp	—	333 residents; we grade 1,000+

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what Lincoln 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.

Questions about natural hazards in Lincoln

Does Lincoln flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Lincoln since 2010, $7K in all.

Is Lincoln 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 Monroe County, 13% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lincoln?

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

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lincoln.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

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

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