FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Minnesota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
St. Louis County, MN
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 92
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
St. Louis County ranks in the riskiest 8% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 57% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Moderate, based on 4 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2022, most often flood, 4% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 8%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 4
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- flood declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does St. Louis County compare?
St. Louis County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
4 Top 43% higher than 57% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
St. Louis County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Minnesota county average
How disaster-prone is St. Louis County?
Declaration frequency
St. Louis County, Minnesota has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2025, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.3 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 115% above the Minnesota county average of 1.9 and 4% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Flood, with 3 of 4 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 91.6/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $112.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, St. Louis County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Minnesota Avg
+115%
State avg: 1.9
vs. National Avg
+4%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.3
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - St. Louis County
How to read this radar
The radar plots St. Louis County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
27137
MN state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 3
Fire 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 75.0%
of all 4 declarations
Fire Management - 1 25.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5583 | MUNGER SHAW FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-05-14 |
| 4797 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2024-06-28 |
| 4722 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-19 |
| 4659 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-07-13 |
Storm Events in Minnesota
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,642 | 16 | 29 | $103.3M |
| Hail | 5,166 | 0 | 0 | $35.2M |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 2,326 | 9 | 4 | $55.0K |
| Winter Storm | 1,943 | 2 | 20 | $10.1M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,420 | 10 | 14 | $1.0M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 91.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$112.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Very High
Winter Weather Very High
Lightning Very High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Landslide Very Low
Drought Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Minnesota
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has St. Louis County, Minnesota had?
St. Louis County, Minnesota has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2025. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in St. Louis County?
The most common disaster type in St. Louis County is Flood, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (1).
How does St. Louis County's disaster risk compare to the Minnesota average?
St. Louis County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 115% higher than the Minnesota county average of 1.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 4% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has St. Louis County received?
St. Louis County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 75% of all 4 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Minnesota?
The most common storm types in Minnesota include Thunderstorm Wind (5,642 events), Hail (5,166 events), Extreme Cold/Wind Chill (2,326 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in St. Louis County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in St. Louis County was 2022, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for St. Louis County?
St. Louis County's 4 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for St. Louis County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, St. Louis County, Minnesota has an overall risk score of 91.6 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $112.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to St. Louis County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in St. Louis County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Very High) and Lightning (Very High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for St. Louis County
St. Louis County, MN runs 115% above the Minnesota county average for federal disaster declarations (4 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 4) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Minnesota overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.