Water Risk Profile — ZIP 68509
Flood risk, local cost data, climate factors, and insurance context for your ZIP code.
Flood Risk
Medium
Cost Range
$1,500–$8,500
Avg Response
42 min
NFIP
State participates
Local Climate & Risk Factors
Lincoln, Nebraska faces spring flooding from the Missouri, Platte, and Loup Rivers that has reached catastrophic levels in 2011 and 2019 — the 2019 Nebraska/Iowa floods caused $1.3 billion in agricultural and property damage. Nebraska's continental climate delivers -20°F cold events that cause pipe bursts in exterior walls and crawl spaces. Summer convective storms (Nebraska is in Tornado Alley) produce hail that damages roofs and enables secondary water damage. Nebraska homeowners along river corridors should carry NFIP flood insurance — FEMA Zone AE designations are extensive in the Missouri and Platte corridors. Nebraska Department of Insurance handles claim disputes.
Flood-prone areas: The Antelope Valley corridor through central Lincoln was a recognized chronic flood zone for decades — the city's $189 million Antelope Creek flood control project (completed 2015) improved conditions but surrounding neighborhoods from N 33rd Street eastward through the Haymarket area still fall within mapped flood zones subject to NFIP requirements. Salt Creek in the Airpark area of northwest Lincoln poses flood risk to both residential and light commercial properties during spring flooding, a risk that was dramatically illustrated during Nebraska's 2019 bomb cyclone when rapid snowmelt overwhelmed levee systems across eastern Nebraska and caused over $1.3 billion in statewide property damage.
Water Category Cost Table — Lincoln, NE
Extraction & drying cost per square foot by IICRC water category
| Water Category | $/sq ft |
|---|---|
| Category 1 — Clean Burst supply line, clean appliance overflow | $2.72–$6.74 |
| Category 2 — Gray Dishwasher, washing machine, toilet bowl (no feces) | $6.74–$8.16 |
| Category 3 — Black Sewage backup, floodwater, toilet overflow with feces | $9.59–$12.1 |
Estimates exclude reconstruction (drywall, flooring replacement). National benchmarks: Cat 1 $3.75–$4.25, Cat 2 $4.10–$6.50, Cat 3 $7–$7.50/sq ft — adjusted for Lincoln market (3.2–11/sq ft range).