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Minnesota natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 87 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

62major disasters since 1953 (19th most)

$2.6Bexpected losses a year

0.2%of homes with flood insurance

Photo: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0

Minnesota has had 62 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $2.6 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 83 of its 87 counties, followed by cold wave in 4. None is rated Very High overall. About 0.2% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $155 million on 12,290 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties

High2counties

Moderate6counties

Low36counties

Highest overall risk

1Hennepin CountyHigh

2Ramsey CountyHigh

3St. Louis CountyModerate

4Dakota CountyModerate

5Anoka CountyModerate

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Chisago CountyLow

2Sherburne CountyLow

3Carver CountyLow

4Wright CountyLow

5Blue Earth CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 83 counties

Cold wavetop risk in 4 counties

Largest counties

Hennepin County

1,281,172 people

High Inland flooding

Ramsey County

552,246 people

High Inland flooding

Dakota County

439,810 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Anoka County

363,857 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Washington County

267,506 people

Moderate Inland flooding

St. Louis County

200,067 people

Moderate Cold wave

Olmsted County

162,489 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Stearns County

158,160 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Scott County

150,902 people

Low Inland flooding

Wright County

141,326 people

Low Inland flooding

Carver County

106,922 people

Low Inland flooding

Sherburne County

97,144 people

Low Inland flooding

Cities in Minnesota

All 43 cities ›

Minneapolis427,246 St. Paul307,284 Rochester122,330 Bloomington88,665 Duluth87,093 Brooklyn Park83,876 Plymouth79,220 Woodbury78,305 Lakeville74,354 Blaine72,488 Maple Grove71,173 St. Cloud70,629 Eagan68,000 Burnsville64,463 Coon Rapids63,468

All 87 counties

Name	People	Overall risk	Top hazard	Declarations	Homes insured
Aitkin County	15,674	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.5%
Anoka County	363,857	Moderate	Inland flooding	11	0.2%
Becker County	35,074	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0%
Beltrami County	46,103	Low	Inland flooding	19	0%
Benton County	41,368	Low	Inland flooding	11	0.5%
Big Stone County	5,166	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	1%
Blue Earth County	69,073	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.2%
Brown County	25,898	Low	Cold wave	18	0.2%
Carlton County	36,175	Low	Cold wave	8	0.2%
Carver County	106,922	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.2%
Cass County	30,036	Low	Inland flooding	12	0%
Chippewa County	12,542	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Chisago County	56,591	Low	Inland flooding	10	0.1%
Clay County	65,291	Low	Inland flooding	27	0.7%
Clearwater County	8,512	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0%
Cook County	5,590	Very Low	Inland flooding	8	0.2%
Cottonwood County	11,505	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.8%
Crow Wing County	66,020	Low	Inland flooding	11	0.2%
Dakota County	439,810	Moderate	Inland flooding	14	0.1%
Dodge County	20,867	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0.3%
Douglas County	38,992	Low	Inland flooding	12	0.1%
Faribault County	13,918	Low	Inland flooding	20	0.1%
Fillmore County	21,197	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.5%
Freeborn County	30,884	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Goodhue County	47,556	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.4%
Grant County	6,073	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0%
Hennepin County	1,281,172	High	Inland flooding	15	0.2%
Houston County	18,807	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.3%
Hubbard County	21,321	Very Low	Inland flooding	8	0%
Isanti County	41,125	Very Low	Inland flooding	8	0.3%
Itasca County	45,006	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.1%
Jackson County	9,986	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	0.3%
Kanabec County	16,014	Very Low	Inland flooding	9	0.1%
Kandiyohi County	43,707	Low	Inland flooding	14	0.1%
Kittson County	4,201	Very Low	Inland flooding	28	0.7%
Koochiching County	12,059	Very Low	Inland flooding	10	0.3%
Lac qui Parle County	6,711	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Lake County	10,884	Very Low	Cold wave	10	0.1%
Lake of the Woods County	3,752	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	0.6%
Le Sueur County	28,651	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.7%
Lincoln County	5,636	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0%
Lyon County	25,258	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.3%
Mahnomen County	5,404	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.1%
Marshall County	9,012	Very Low	Inland flooding	28	0.5%
Martin County	20,025	Low	Inland flooding	13	0%
McLeod County	36,770	Low	Inland flooding	16	0.2%
Meeker County	23,394	Very Low	Inland flooding	9	0.3%
Mille Lacs County	26,388	Very Low	Inland flooding	8	0.4%
Morrison County	34,007	Low	Inland flooding	12	0.2%
Mower County	40,028	Low	Inland flooding	14	0.4%
Murray County	8,175	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.3%
Nicollet County	34,438	Low	Inland flooding	20	0.2%
Nobles County	22,270	Low	Inland flooding	19	0.2%
Norman County	6,420	Very Low	Inland flooding	30	1.4%
Olmsted County	162,489	Moderate	Inland flooding	13	0.3%
Otter Tail County	60,042	Low	Inland flooding	15	0%
Pennington County	13,900	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.1%
Pine County	28,831	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.5%
Pipestone County	9,414	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.1%
Polk County	31,153	Low	Inland flooding	29	0.5%
Pope County	11,306	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0.1%
Ramsey County	552,246	High	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Red Lake County	3,934	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0%
Redwood County	15,425	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.1%
Renville County	14,723	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0%
Rice County	67,082	Low	Inland flooding	12	0.3%
Rock County	9,704	Very Low	Inland flooding	14	0.4%
Roseau County	15,292	Low	Inland flooding	24	0.4%
Scott County	150,902	Low	Inland flooding	14	0.2%
Sherburne County	97,144	Low	Inland flooding	8	0.3%
Sibley County	14,824	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0%
St. Louis County	200,067	Moderate	Cold wave	15	0.3%
Stearns County	158,160	Moderate	Inland flooding	11	0.2%
Steele County	37,400	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	0.4%
Stevens County	9,670	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Swift County	9,838	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Todd County	25,251	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	0.3%
Traverse County	3,356	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	1%
Wabasha County	21,380	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.5%
Wadena County	14,054	Very Low	Inland flooding	13	0.2%
Waseca County	18,957	Very Low	Inland flooding	12	0.1%
Washington County	267,506	Moderate	Inland flooding	15	0.3%
Watonwan County	11,253	Very Low	Inland flooding	11	0%
Wilkin County	6,501	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0.9%
Winona County	49,579	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.5%
Wright County	141,326	Low	Inland flooding	15	0.2%
Yellow Medicine County	9,528	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.2%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.