Otter Tail County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Otter Tail County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 79.4 of 100, higher than 79% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, cold wave, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,515 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 | Very High | 97.5 | $1.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.4 | $7.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.7 | $1.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 | $4.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $21M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.4 | $887K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 82.0 | $19K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.3 | $349K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 53.1 | $165K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 49.1 | $208K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $236K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 39.7 | $48K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 18.8 | $24K |
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 | 460 | 0 | $524K | 63rd of 87 | 1611th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 408 | 0 | $23M | 64th of 87 | 2355th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 266 | 0 | – | 78th of 87 | 1835th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 116 | 0 | $67K | 75th of 87 | 790th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 87 | 3 | $32M | 48th of 87 | 1644th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 50 | 0 | $1.9M | 59th of 87 | 2388th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 49 | 0 | $2.3M | 61st of 87 | 2018th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 22 | 0 | – | 44th of 87 | 2040th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.8M | 33rd of 87 | 1499th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 75th of 87 | 2252nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 58th of 87 | 2083rd 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 Otter Tail County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.