Washington County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.9 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hail, tornado. Its storm record holds 593 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 | 98.3 | $11M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.8 | $5.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.4 | $20M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 88.4 | $2.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $10M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.5 | $41M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $2.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $319K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.5 | $310K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.6 | $13K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 64.0 | $202K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 13.3 | $24K |
| Drought | Very Low | 12.9 | $44 |
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 | 203 | 0 | $27M | 5th of 87 | 230th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 160 | 0 | $42M | 5th of 87 | 855th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 120 | 0 | – | 8th of 87 | 314th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 2 | $51M | 2nd of 87 | 465th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 2 | $26K | 43rd of 87 | 465th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 14 | 0 | – | 6th of 87 | 668th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 13 | 0 | – | 40th of 87 | 1990th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $1.4M | 4th of 87 | 267th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $1K | 35th of 87 | 1547th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 38th of 87 | 1039th 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 Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.