Natural hazards · Van Buren

Van Buren, NY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Van Buren comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 29 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Van Buren?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Van Buren to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Strong wind5%Everything else15%

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

80% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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?

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

29paid claims since 1978

$720Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Sandy: 2 claims, $92K
Torrential rain: 1 claim, $19K
Hurricane Irene: 1 claim, $43K

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: Onondaga County.

Disasters that hit Van Buren

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Van Buren itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Van Buren.

Brought FEMA money into Van BurenDeclared for Onondaga County only

2003

Ice Storm

$24K to the Town of Van Buren for repairs

Onondaga County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Van Buren

Van Buren and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Van Burenmostly inland floodingModerate

Lysandermostly inland floodingLow

Elbridgemostly inland floodingLow

Camillusmostly inland floodingVery low

Geddesmostly 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 3 census tracts, 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 Town 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 $3.4M 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.