Clay County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.7 of 100, higher than 73% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 823 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.8 | $1.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.1 | $6.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.4 | $28M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | $1.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | $1.6M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 66.0 | $165K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $2.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $115K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.4 | $180K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 30.4 | $142K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.3 | $1K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 38.7 | $278K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.8 | $20K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 222 | 0 | $15M | 43rd of 87 | 1254th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 185 | 0 | $1.7M | 48th of 87 | 2186th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 180 | 0 | $15M | 59th of 87 | 924th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 68 | 1 | $34K | 26th of 87 | 345th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 57 | 1 | $80M | 26th of 87 | 1629th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 0 | $11M | 26th of 87 | 1177th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 37 | 0 | $226K | 27th of 87 | 1453rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | – | 40th of 87 | 1896th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 67th of 87 | 2094th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $311K | 34th of 87 | 1638th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 61st of 87 | 2242nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.