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 low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Van Buren?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Van Buren to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes17%Cold waves11%Strong wind11%Hail5%Everything else7%

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

49% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 74 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Van Buren.

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: LaGrange County.

Disasters that hit Van Buren

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Van BurenDeclared for LaGrange County only

LaGrange County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and tornadoes.

Around Van Buren

Van Buren and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Van Burenmostly inland floodingLow

Sturgismostly inland floodingLow

Limamostly inland floodingVery low

White Pigeonmostly inland floodingVery low

Newburymostly inland floodingVery low

Claymostly inland floodingVery low

Yorkmostly inland floodingVery low

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 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Van Buren’s own flood-insurance community; 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 $863K 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.