Is Buffalo County, NE in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Buffalo County's flood hazard at the 50.8th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 1 years. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 713 homes FEMA counts inside Buffalo County's mapped flood zone, 94 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 13.2% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Buffalo County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.6% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Buffalo County against the rest of the country
Buffalo County sits at rank 1611 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 997 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Buffalo County, Nebraska covers 968.246 square miles and counts roughly 51,156 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Buffalo County
FEMA counts 19,120 residential structures in Buffalo County overall, 119 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Buffalo County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.