Dakota County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dakota County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.5 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hail, tornado. Its storm record holds 844 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.4 | $19M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.5 | $8.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.4 | $32M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.9 | $771K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.1 | $12M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.8 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.7 | $57M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.6 | $3.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 70.2 | $10K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $184K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 31.5 | $50K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 39.6 | $42K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 21.2 | $53K |
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 | 310 | 0 | $215M | 6th of 87 | 254th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 244 | 0 | $328M | 9th of 87 | 1268th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 125 | 1 | – | 31st of 87 | 611th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 1 | $22M | 4th of 87 | 503rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 31 | 1 | $36M | 21st of 87 | 1561st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 1 | $103K | 72nd of 87 | 726th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 0 | – | 12th of 87 | 474th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 16 | 0 | $3.4M | 3rd of 87 | 255th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 14 | 0 | – | 25th of 87 | 885th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 0 | $44K | 36th of 87 | 1585th 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 Dakota County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.