Buffalo County Disaster Risk

Buffalo County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 66th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Buffalo County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (74th percentile), tornado (72th percentile), flooding (51th percentile), earthquake (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 74th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Buffalo County's composite risk percentile is 66th, compared to the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Buffalo County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Nebraska.

Yes, Buffalo County's wildfire risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Buffalo County is at the 51th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Buffalo County's composite risk score of 66th percentile is above the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (74th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.