Natural hazards · New Buffalo

New Buffalo, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Buffalo 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 New Buffalo?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Buffalo to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes10%Cold waves9%Strong wind5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What New Buffalo faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 New Buffalo flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in New Buffalo.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Berrien County.

Disasters that hit New Buffalo

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Berrien County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching New Buffalo itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into New BuffaloDeclared for Berrien County only

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

Around New Buffalo

New Buffalo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springfieldmostly inland floodingLow

New Buffalomostly inland floodingLow

Grand Beachmostly inland floodingLow

Michianamostly inland floodingLow

New Buffalomostly inland floodingLow

Three Oaksmostly inland floodingLow

Chikamingmostly 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. New Buffalo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to New Buffalo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of New Buffalo. 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 New Buffalo total about $1.9M 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.