Storms, floods and disasters in Buffalo Prairie Township
Buffalo Prairie Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Buffalo Prairie Township has 565 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1986.
What Buffalo Prairie Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Hail
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Buffalo Prairie Township flood? Sometimes: 41 flood claims since 1986
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Buffalo Prairie Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding14 claims · $144K
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $5K
Buffalo Prairie Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rock Island County.The storms Buffalo Prairie Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Rock Island County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Buffalo Prairie Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199315 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Rock Island County
- 200111 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Rock Island County
- 20084 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Rock Island County
Rock Island County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Buffalo Prairie Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Buffalo Prairie Township archive →Buffalo Prairie Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andalusia Township | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 63 |
| Edgington Township | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Drury Township | — | 739 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Duncan Township | — | 215 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Buffalo Prairie Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Buffalo Prairie Township
Does Buffalo Prairie Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 41 claims in Buffalo Prairie Township since 1986, $442K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (14).
Is Buffalo Prairie Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Rock Island County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Buffalo Prairie Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Buffalo Prairie Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Buffalo Prairie Township?
By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 14 paid, $144K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Buffalo Prairie Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Buffalo Prairie Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.