Natural hazards · Buena

Buena, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Buena comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Buena?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Buena to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes28%Inland flooding23%Strong wind19%Drought8%Earthquakes6%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Buena faces

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

Hurricanes

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

19% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Buena flood?

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

6paid claims since 1979
$70Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Sandy: 1 claim, $31K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Buena isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Atlantic County.
Disasters that hit Buena

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BuenaDeclared for Atlantic County only
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Borough of Buena for repairs
2015

Severe Storm

$9K to the Borough of Buena for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

15 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$43K to the Borough of Buena for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

14 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$13K to the Borough of Buena for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

57 households applied for aid $51K aid approved
2009

Snowstorm

$7K to the Borough of Buena for repairs
Atlantic County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Buena

Buena and the towns around it

Buena Vista: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaurice River: High, mostly coastal floodingFolsom: High, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBuena: Low, mostly hurricanes BuenaBuena Vista
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Buena Vistamostly inland floodingModerate
Buenamostly hurricanesLow
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. Buena covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Buena’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Buena. 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 Buena total about $1.4M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01