Freeborn County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Freeborn County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 51.0 of 100, higher than 50% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 616 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 93.1 | $2.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $1.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79.6 | $4.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | $203K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $846K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 49.1 | $6.6M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.5 | $1K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 25.9 | $108K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 25.5 | $25K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 24.4 | $10K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 17.1 | $61K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.6 | $18K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 166 | 1 | $1.3M | 26th of 87 | 1844th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 152 | 0 | $21K | 47th of 87 | 1307th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 117 | 0 | $289K | 57th of 87 | 886th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 72 | 14 | $1.0B | 1st of 87 | 412th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 28 | 3 | $12M | 38th of 87 | 1946th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 0 | – | 73rd of 87 | 730th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 0 | – | 49th of 87 | 1820th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 10 | 0 | – | 47th of 87 | 1205th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | – | 33rd of 87 | 977th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $4K | 57th of 87 | 2106th 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 Freeborn County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.