Is Howard County, NE in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Howard County's flood hazard at the 14.7th percentile nationally — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 2 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Howard County's flood-insurance compliance gap
7.2% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Howard County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 34 policies against 471 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Howard County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.8% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Howard County compares nationally
Howard County sits at rank 2715 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2698 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Howard County, Nebraska covers 569.27 square miles and counts roughly 6,572 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Howard County
35 of Howard County's 4,428 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Howard County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.