Pennington County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pennington County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 47.0 of 100, higher than 46% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 430 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 Moderate | 76.7 | $215K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 70.2 | $630K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 82.3 | $618K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.8 | $14M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.2 | $103K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $225K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 40.8 | $815K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 26.4 | $480K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 20.9 | $228K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 18.4 | $116 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.6 | $41K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 14.2 | $58K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.7 | $3K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 114 | 0 | $3.7M | 43rd of 87 | 779th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 102 | 0 | – | 56th of 87 | 1480th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 78 | 0 | $34K | 4th of 87 | 116th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 73 | 0 | $155K | 69th of 87 | 2411th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | – | 21st of 87 | 1406th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 15 | 0 | $12M | 55th of 87 | 2253rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $9.3M | 71st of 87 | 2175th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | – | 60th of 87 | 1990th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 73rd of 87 | 2243rd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $484 | 51st of 87 | 2036th 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 Pennington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.