Natural hazards · West Buffalo

West Buffalo, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Buffalo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2004.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Buffalo?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Buffalo to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Strong wind9%Hurricanes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What West Buffalo faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 West Buffalo flood?

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

1paid claims since 2004

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. West 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: Union County.

Disasters that hit West Buffalo

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into West BuffaloDeclared for Union County only

Union County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around West Buffalo

West Buffalo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

White Deermostly inland floodingHigh

Mifflinburgmostly inland floodingHigh

West Buffalomostly inland floodingHigh

Lewismostly inland floodingHigh

Limestonemostly inland floodingHigh

Buffalomostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

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. West Buffalo covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Buffalo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West 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 West Buffalo total about $1.1M 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.