Natural hazards · Buffalo

Buffalo, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Buffalo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 40 claims here since 1983. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Buffalo?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Buffalo to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes18%Strong wind14%Hail7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Buffalo faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Strong wind

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Buffalo flood?

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

40paid claims since 1983

$604Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19832026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. 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: Wright County.

Disasters that hit Buffalo

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Buffalo itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Buffalo.

Brought FEMA money into BuffaloDeclared for Wright County only

2002

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$63K to the City of Buffalo for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$5K to the City of Buffalo for repairs

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

Around Buffalo

Buffalo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rockfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Chathammostly inland floodingModerate

Maple Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Buffalomostly inland floodingLow

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. Buffalo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Buffalo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of 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 Buffalo total about $2.9M 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.