Natural hazards · Van Buren

Van Buren, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Van Buren comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2008.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Van Buren?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Van Buren to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding67%Tornadoes16%Strong wind5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Van Buren faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Van Buren flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Van Buren, from FEMA’s records.

3paid claims since 2008

$156Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $25K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Van Buren isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Brown County.

Disasters that hit Van Buren

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Brown County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Van Buren itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Van BurenDeclared for Brown County only

Brown County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Van Buren

Van Buren and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Van Burenmostly inland floodingHigh

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Salt Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Pershingmostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

Ohiomostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Van Buren covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Van Buren’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Van Buren. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Van Buren total about $2.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.