Red Cloud, NE

Red Cloud, Nebraska, is a community of about 1,000 people located approximately 200 miles southwest of Omaha. The town faces flood risk from Crooked Creek on the east side as well as localized stormwater issues throughout the community.

FEMA designated Red Cloud a Community Disaster Resilience Zone in 2023 due to its high levels of social vulnerability and natural hazard risk, which underscores the urgent need for effective flood mitigation strategies.

In 2024, Red Cloud became a FloodWise community and has received technical assistance including community stormwater management master planning. FloodWise hired JEO Consulting Group to conduct a communitywide drainage assessment, identify projects to reduce flood risk, and identify funding strategies to implement the work.

Red Cloud is working closely with local and state stakeholders to ensure that the proposed solutions are comprehensive and sustainable. The town is leveraging resources and expertise from organizations like the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and the National Flood Insurance Program to bolster its flood resilience efforts. Red Cloud’s leaders aim to reduce the community’s overall flood risk and vulnerability through targeted infrastructure improvements and mitigation activities, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for all residents.

Snapshot

  • 2024 FloodWise community
  • Population: 1,000
  • Major waterways: Crooked Creek and the Republican River
  • Flood type: river flooding, stormwater flooding

Resources