FEMA declarations
81
Above median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Minnesota Natural Disasters
Minnesota's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 81 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by flood, with $576.5M in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 19,109 recorded weather events resulting in 77 fatalities, figures the state uses to prioritize disaster-preparedness planning.
- 81
- FEMA declarations
- 19,109
- NOAA storm events
- 77
- Storm fatalities
- $576.5M
- Property + crop damage
The Minnesota risk picture
2 of the 87 counties FEMA scores, 2%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Minnesota has 63 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 230 injuries statewide.
- 2%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 81
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $576.5M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 12,290
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
78%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
19,109
Observed severe-weather records
How does Minnesota compare?
Minnesota vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
81 Top 46% higher than 54% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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 · 2026-08-25
Minnesota county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
42.4 49th percentile higher than 49% of 87 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Minnesota sits at the 51st percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 75th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Minnesota's record?
FEMA declaration types in Minnesota
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Flood
Flood
31 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
26 declarations
- Fire 10
Fire
10 declarations
- Biological 4
Biological
4 declarations
- Tornado 3
Tornado
3 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 2
Severe Ice Storm
2 declarations
- Drought 1
Drought
1 declarations
- Hurricane 1
Hurricane
1 declarations
What this shows Flood leads Minnesota's FEMA declaration mix with 31 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Minnesota
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2022 (2,728 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
66 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Minnesota · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
14/30
81 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Very High
22/25
19109 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.7x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Moderate
10/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (1.0x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
11 different disaster types declared in Minnesota
What does Minnesota's hazard record show?
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Minnesota recorded 19,109 individual storm events, causing 77 fatalities and 230 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $576.5M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (4,420 events), Hail (4,203 events), Extreme Cold/Wind Chill (1,789 events). Across the 87counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 2 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 42.4/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
Minnesota (MN) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 81 FEMA declaration records, including 63 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Flood, followed by Severe Storm (26), Fire (10), Biological (4). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 86Minnesota counties have filed 12,290 NFIP claims totaling $155.3M, or an average of $12.6K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $1.3B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
Disaster Types in Minnesota
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Flood
38.3%
31 declarations
Severe Storm
32.1%
26 declarations
Fire
12.3%
10 declarations
Biological
4.9%
4 declarations
Tornado
3.7%
3 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
2.5%
2 declarations
Drought
1.2%
1 declarations
Hurricane
1.2%
1 declarations
Other
1.2%
1 declarations
Snowstorm
1.2%
1 declarations
Straight-Line Winds
1.2%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Minnesota (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,420 | 13 | 25 | $68.2M |
| Hail | 4,203 | 0 | 0 | $34.5M |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 1,789 | 7 | 4 | $55.0K |
| Winter Storm | 1,695 | 2 | 17 | $10.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,190 | 9 | 14 | $1.0M |
| Winter Weather | 1,025 | 18 | 77 | $3.0M |
| Blizzard | 857 | 1 | 11 | $2.2M |
| Drought | 641 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Tornado | 591 | 1 | 6 | $46.0M |
| Flood | 473 | 2 | 0 | $48.2M |
| Flash Flood | 419 | 0 | 1 | $12.7M |
| High Wind | 350 | 1 | 2 | $1.1M |
| Heavy Rain | 292 | 2 | 3 | $293.0K |
| Excessive Heat | 268 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Funnel Cloud | 252 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 231 | 7 | 14 | $0 |
| Strong Wind | 123 | 4 | 7 | $1.1M |
| Frost/Freeze | 77 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 65 | 0 | 14 | $0 |
| Lightning | 64 | 0 | 19 | $4.7M |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,833 | 2 | 12 | $40.7M |
| 2024 | 1,542 | 3 | 26 | $37.3M |
| 2023 | 1,690 | 7 | 20 | $24.7M |
| 2022 | 2,728 | 7 | 33 | $37.1M |
| 2021 | 1,451 | 11 | 21 | $17.8M |
| 2020 | 1,600 | 7 | 18 | $14.5M |
| 2019 | 2,126 | 4 | 7 | $24.1M |
| 2018 | 1,768 | 11 | 28 | $44.7M |
| 2017 | 1,314 | 7 | 30 | $19.2M |
| 2016 | 1,826 | 14 | 28 | $17.0M |
| 2015 | 1,231 | 4 | 7 | $5.6M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 81 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 81 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
81 unique disaster declarations in Minnesota.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4894 | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2025-10-22 |
| 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 |
| 4666 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-08-09 |
| 4659 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-07-13 |
| 4658 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-07-08 |
| 4531 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-07 |
| 3453 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3508 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3503 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4442 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-06-12 |
| 4414 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-02-01 |
| 4390 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-09-05 |
| 4290 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-11-02 |
| 4182 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2014-07-21 |
| 4131 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-07-25 |
| 4113 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-05-03 |
| 4069 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-07-06 |
| 4009 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-07-28 |
| 1990 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-07 |
| 1982 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-05-10 |
| 1941 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-10-13 |
| 1921 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 2010-07-02 |
| 1900 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2010-04-19 |
| 3310 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2010-03-19 |
| 1830 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-04-09 |
| 3304 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2009-03-26 |
| 1772 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-25 |
| 1717 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-23 |
| 3278 | BRIDGE COLLAPSE | EM | Other | 2007-08-21 |
| 1648 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2006-06-05 |
| 1622 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-01-04 |
| 3242 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1569 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-10-07 |
| 1419 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2002-06-14 |
| 2409 | MN - BY-PASS FIRE - 05/31/2002 | FM | Fire | 2002-06-01 |
| 1370 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Flood | 2001-05-16 |
| 2345 | MN - CARLOS EDGE FIRE COMPLEX - 10/19/2000 | FM | Fire | 2000-10-20 |
| 1333 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-06-27 |
| 1288 | SEVERE ICE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 1999-08-26 |
| 1283 | SEVERE STORMS, WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-07-28 |
| 1225 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1998-06-23 |
| 1212 | TORNADOES AND SEVERE STORMS | DR | Tornado | 1998-04-01 |
| 1187 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, HIGH WINDS, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-08-25 |
| 1175 | SEVERE FLOODING, HIGH WINDS,SEVERE STORMS | DR | Flood | 1997-04-08 |
| 1158 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-16 |
| 1151 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-07 |
| 1116 | FLOODING AND SEVERE STORMS | DR | Flood | 1996-06-01 |
| 1078 | HIGH WINDS, FREEZING RAIN, HEAVY SNOWFALL | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-05 |
Showing 50 of 81 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Minnesota counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
42.4/100
High Risk Counties
2
of 87 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$1.3B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$1.3B EAL
#2
Cold Wave
$470.6M EAL
#3
Tornado
$348.0M EAL
#4
Strong Wind
$154.2M EAL
#5
Hail
$128.1M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Minnesota from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
12,290
Total Paid
$155.3M
Avg Per Claim
$12.6K
Counties With Claims
86
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Minnesota
87 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norman County | 32 | Very Low | 27 |
| 2 | Polk County | 31 | Relatively Low | 26 |
| 3 | Marshall County | 30 | Very Low | 25 |
| 4 | Kittson County | 30 | Very Low | 26 |
| 5 | Clay County | 29 | Relatively Low | 24 |
| 6 | Roseau County | 26 | Relatively Low | 24 |
| 7 | Traverse County | 25 | Very Low | 20 |
| 8 | Wilkin County | 25 | Very Low | 20 |
| 9 | Yellow Medicine County | 24 | Very Low | 20 |
| 10 | Blue Earth County | 24 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 11 | Red Lake County | 23 | Very Low | 20 |
| 12 | Nicollet County | 22 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 13 | Renville County | 22 | Very Low | 18 |
| 14 | Faribault County | 22 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 15 | Houston County | 21 | Very Low | 18 |
| 16 | Freeborn County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 17 | Sibley County | 21 | Very Low | 17 |
| 18 | Nobles County | 21 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 19 | Aitkin County | 21 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 20 | Beltrami County | 21 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 21 | Lac qui Parle County | 21 | Very Low | 17 |
| 22 | Redwood County | 21 | Very Low | 17 |
| 23 | Chippewa County | 21 | Very Low | 17 |
| 24 | Mahnomen County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 25 | Brown County | 20 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 26 | Pennington County | 20 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 27 | Big Stone County | 20 | Very Low | 16 |
| 28 | Swift County | 19 | Very Low | 15 |
| 29 | Ramsey County | 19 | Relatively High | 15 |
| 30 | Le Sueur County | 19 | Very Low | 15 |
| 31 | Becker County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 32 | Grant County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 33 | Stevens County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 34 | Lyon County | 18 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 35 | Fillmore County | 18 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 36 | Hennepin County | 18 | Relatively High | 13 |
| 37 | McLeod County | 18 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 38 | Lake of the Woods County | 18 | Very Low | 16 |
| 39 | Goodhue County | 18 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 40 | Jackson County | 18 | Very Low | 15 |
| 41 | Murray County | 17 | Very Low | 14 |
| 42 | Wright County | 17 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 43 | Steele County | 17 | Very Low | 14 |
| 44 | Otter Tail County | 17 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 45 | Cottonwood County | 17 | Very Low | 14 |
| 46 | St. Louis County | 17 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 47 | Carver County | 17 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 48 | Washington County | 17 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 49 | Wabasha County | 17 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 50 | Winona County | 17 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 51 | Dodge County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 52 | Clearwater County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 53 | Mower County | 16 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 54 | Kandiyohi County | 16 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 55 | Rock County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 56 | Dakota County | 16 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 57 | Pope County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 58 | Scott County | 16 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 59 | Martin County | 15 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 60 | Wadena County | 15 | Very Low | 12 |
| 61 | Itasca County | 15 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 62 | Pine County | 15 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 63 | Olmsted County | 15 | Relatively Moderate | 12 |
| 64 | Pipestone County | 14 | Very Low | 11 |
| 65 | Waseca County | 14 | Very Low | 12 |
| 66 | Rice County | 14 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 67 | Douglas County | 14 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 68 | Cass County | 14 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 69 | Morrison County | 14 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 70 | Lincoln County | 14 | Very Low | 11 |
| 71 | Todd County | 13 | Very Low | 10 |
| 72 | Anoka County | 13 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 73 | Benton County | 13 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 74 | Crow Wing County | 13 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 75 | Stearns County | 13 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 76 | Watonwan County | 13 | Very Low | 10 |
| 77 | Chisago County | 12 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 78 | Lake County | 12 | Very Low | 9 |
| 79 | Koochiching County | 12 | Very Low | 9 |
| 80 | Meeker County | 11 | Very Low | 8 |
| 81 | Kanabec County | 11 | Very Low | 8 |
| 82 | Sherburne County | 10 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 83 | Cook County | 10 | Very Low | 7 |
| 84 | Mille Lacs County | 10 | Very Low | 7 |
| 85 | Carlton County | 10 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 86 | Isanti County | 10 | Very Low | 7 |
| 87 | Hubbard County | 10 | Very Low | 7 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Minnesota are Hennepin (Relatively High), Ramsey (Relatively High), St. Louis (Relatively Moderate), Dakota (Relatively Moderate), Anoka (Relatively Moderate). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 87 counties in Minnesota are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Minnesota: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Minnesota: 42.4 across 87 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Minnesota: 81. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Minnesota?
Minnesota is affected by flood, severe storm, fire, biological. The state's leading disaster type is Flood, based on 81 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Minnesota had?
Minnesota has received 81 FEMA disaster declarations, including 63 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Flood (31), Severe Storm (26), Fire (10).
What severe weather events are most common in Minnesota?
The most common severe weather events in Minnesota include thunderstorm wind (4,420 events), hail (4,203 events), extreme cold/wind chill (1,789 events). These NOAA storm events recorded from 2015 to 2025 have caused 77 fatalities and $576.5M in property and crop damage.
How active is Minnesota's federal disaster declaration record?
Minnesota has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 81 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 77 fatalities and 230 injuries. Combined NOAA-listed property and crop losses total $576.5M.
How many flood insurance claims has Minnesota had?
Minnesota has 12,290 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $155.3M total paid out. Per-claim payments average $12.6K, with 86 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Minnesota have the most disaster declarations?
Among 87 counties in Minnesota, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Norman (32 declarations), Polk (31 declarations), Marshall (30 declarations). Breaking the declarations down by county reveals patterns a statewide total can mask.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Minnesota
Norman alone accounts for 40% of Minnesota's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 87 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Norman and Polk carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Minnesota ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.