Hazard index
Northern and western parts of Nebraska experience flooding due to heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt, ice jams, and river overflow. This region is home to many rivers, such as the Platte River, Missouri River, Niobrara River, and Elkhorn River (Fig. 1). The Niobrara River, a tributary of the Missouri River, runs through the Sandhill’s region of Nebraska and eventually joins the Missouri River at Niobrara, Nebraska. Further, the Elkhorn River, the tributary of the Platte River, runs through Antelope County and joins the Platte River near Gretna, Nebraska (part of Sarpy County). Additionally, the region’s topography of rolling hills and steep terrain also significantly exacerbates flash flooding in the region12.
Several counties, including Burt, Boyd, and Cass in the eastern region of Nebraska, showed a higher hazard of riverine flooding (Fig. 5). This can be attributed to the Missouri River, the Platte River, the Elkhorn River, and the Big Blue River, which runs through the eastern counties. Douglas County showed less hazard of property damage since there were fewer properties at hazard relative to the total number of properties, even though it had more properties overall. In the…
