Natural disaster risk in Buffalo County, Nebraska
Nebraska · population 50,007 · FIPS 31019
Overall: relatively low risk
Buffalo County has a composite risk score of 66.0 out of 100 — higher than 66% of US counties. It ranks 7 of 93 in Nebraska (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hail, strong wind, drought.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 5.87% of Buffalo County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 52 weeks in a row.
Drought in Buffalo County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 66 |
| Expected annual loss About $37.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 78.2 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 10.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 69.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Buffalo County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively high 98 |
| Strong wind | Relatively high 96 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 87 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 79 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 72 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 71 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 74 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 54 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 50 |
| Earthquake | Very low 24 |
| Landslide | Very low 23 |
| Cold wave | Very low 21 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Buffalo County
Federal declarations that designated Buffalo County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Buffalo County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4928-NE (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 3 Aug 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4928-NE | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 3 Aug 2026 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Nebraska, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Buffalo County, Nebraska?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Buffalo County as relatively low, with a score of 66.0 out of 100 (higher than 66% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Buffalo County?
The hazards rated highest for Buffalo County are hail (relatively high), strong wind (relatively high), drought (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Buffalo County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Buffalo County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Buffalo County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Buffalo County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4928-NE (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 3 Aug 2026.
Is Buffalo County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 5.87% of Buffalo County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 52 weeks in a row.
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