Natural hazards · Buchanan

Buchanan, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Buchanan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Buchanan?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Buchanan to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Hurricanes10%Earthquakes9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Buchanan faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Buchanan flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Westchester County.

Disasters that hit Buchanan

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BuchananDeclared for Westchester County only

2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

8 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Sandy

4 households applied for aid $32K to the Village of Buchanan for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

7 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $29K to the Village of Buchanan for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Westchester County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Buchanan

Buchanan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Stony Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Peekskillmostly inland floodingLow

Cortlandtmostly inland floodingVery low

Buchananmostly 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. Buchanan covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Buchanan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Buchanan. 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 Buchanan total about $656K 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.