Stearns County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Stearns County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.6 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hail, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,055 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 | Relatively High | 97.6 | $5.3M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.5 | $4.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.0 | $11M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.3 | $558K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.5 | $1.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.9 | $48M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.3 | $6.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.3 | $284K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 76.3 | $336K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.6 | $1.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.2 | $5K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 57.2 | $266K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.9 | $51K |
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 | 431 | 0 | $36M | 38th of 87 | 1130th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 309 | 0 | $5.0M | 41st of 87 | 2081st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 119 | 1 | – | 75th of 87 | 1675th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 57 | 3 | $145M | 41st of 87 | 1522nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 43 | 1 | $26K | 76th of 87 | 818th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 24 | 0 | $12M | 66th of 87 | 2448th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | – | 35th of 87 | 998th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 0 | $1K | 73rd of 87 | 2408th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 10 | 0 | – | 56th of 87 | 1668th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 9 | 2 | $232K | 16th of 87 | 1005th 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 Stearns County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.