Risk Index · Erie County · 2026-06-13
Buffalo, NY real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 97.7/100
- Relatively High
- Expected annual loss
- $286M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $212M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 954K
- Erie County
Buffalo, NY (Erie County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.7/100, rated "Relatively High" and driven mainly by riverine flood and tornado, with roughly $286M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Riverine flood99
- Tornado95.4
- Heat wave95.4
- Earthquake85.8
- Strong wind80.4
- Hurricane71.3
- Wildfire62.6
- Coastal flood44.4
- Hail41.5
- Drought35.8
Each score is the county's percentile against every US county for that hazard (0-100).
What it means for insurance
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Buffalo risk questions
Is Buffalo, NY a high-risk area for real estate?
Buffalo scores 97.7/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $286M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in Buffalo?
The highest-rated hazard is riverine flood (99/100), followed by tornado (95.4/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in Buffalo?
Severe convective storms (tornado/hail) drive the insurance cost here. Wind/hail deductibles and roof age are what underwriters price, and what's been pushing Midwest/Plains premiums up.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (Counties), v1.20 (2026-06-13). Scores are national percentiles (0-100). Insurance commentary is PropHunt's interpretation of the hazard data, not an insurance quote.