Flood Zones & FEMA Maps in Furnas County, NE

Furnas County's flood exposure isn't hypothetical: FEMA has mapped specific flood elevations on both the Republican River and Medicine Creek where they meet near Cambridge, and the county's own history includes a 1935 flood that put nearly three-fourths of Cambridge's homes under water. A buyer looking at land near either waterway should treat floodplain status as a specific, checkable fact rather than a general river-adjacency concern.

This page covers what's specific to Furnas County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

Two mapped waterways, with specific elevation reference points

FEMA's flood study for Furnas County covers both of the county's significant waterways separately, and each has documented reference points rather than a single blanket floodplain designation for the whole river corridor. On Medicine Creek, a flood elevation reference point sits about 0.17 mile downstream of U.S. Highway 6, at elevation +2257. On the Republican River itself, two separate reference points are documented: one about 3.18 miles downstream of State Highway 47 at elevation +2243, and another roughly 480 feet upstream of State Highway 47 at elevation +2263. These are the kind of specific, technical study points that determine how a given parcel's elevation compares to the mapped base flood elevation -- exactly the detail a buyer needs handed to a surveyor or floodplain administrator, not a general 'near the river' description.

Because Cambridge sits on the western bank of Medicine Creek near its junction with the Republican River, land in and around Cambridge sits at the confluence of two separately studied flood sources -- meaning a parcel's flood-zone designation can depend on which waterway's mapped floodplain reaches it, and how far. Don't assume that being clear of the Republican River's mapped floodplain also clears a parcel of Medicine Creek's, or vice versa; each needs to be checked against the current effective flood map independently.

Where the maps are kept, and the county's own flood history

The effective FEMA flood maps for Furnas County are held for public inspection at two separate locations depending on whether a parcel sits inside or outside city limits: for property within the City of Cambridge, maps are available at 722 Patterson Avenue in Cambridge; for unincorporated areas of the county, they're kept at 912 R Street in Beaver City, the county seat. A buyer should know which office to visit (or call) before assuming either location has jurisdiction over a specific parcel's flood determination.

Furnas County's flood exposure isn't a modeling abstraction -- the county has a documented flood history. During the historic 1935 Republican River flood, towns along the river including Cambridge were hit hard, and Cambridge in particular saw nearly three-fourths of its homes flooded, among the most severe local impacts of that flood anywhere along the river. That history is a useful reminder that Furnas County's flood risk near Cambridge reflects a real, recurring hydrological pattern along the Republican River and Medicine Creek corridor, not just a conservative federal mapping exercise. For any parcel near either waterway, get a current flood-zone determination and elevation certificate rather than relying on a general sense that flooding here is a one-time or purely historical concern.

Flood Zones in Furnas County, Nebraska

Two mapped waterways, with specific elevation reference points

Where the maps are kept, and the county's own flood history

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