Minnesota Natural Disaster Risk by County
FEMA National Risk Index rankings for all 87 counties
Counties
87
All ranked by NRI score
State Avg. Score
42.4
Medium risk
Total State EAL
$2.58B
Expected annual losses
Highest Risk
Hennepin
Score 98.3 · High
Minnesota spans 87 counties with an average FEMA National Risk Index score of 42.4 (moderate risk) and roughly $2.58B in combined expected annual loss statewide. 2 counties are rated High or Very High risk.
Leading the state for risk is Hennepin County (score 98.3, high), while Red Lake County (score 2.2) carries the lowest. Use the table below to compare every county by score, top hazard, and expected annual loss.
County Rankings
| # | County | Risk Score | Risk Rating | Top Hazard | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | High | Cold Wave | $456M | |
| 2 | Ramsey County | High | Cold Wave | $181M | |
| 3 | St. Louis County | Medium | Cold Wave | $112M | |
| 4 | Dakota County | Medium | Strong Wind | $134M | |
| 5 | Anoka County | Medium | Strong Wind | $127M | |
| 6 | Stearns County | Medium | Strong Wind | $79M | |
| 7 | Washington County | Medium | Strong Wind | $93M | |
| 8 | Olmsted County | Medium | Cold Wave | $94M | |
| 9 | Otter Tail County | Low | Winter Weather | $38M | |
| 10 | Crow Wing County | Low | Cold Wave | $39M | |
| 11 | Itasca County | Low | Cold Wave | $31M | |
| 12 | Scott County | Low | Strong Wind | $66M | |
| 13 | Rice County | Low | Strong Wind | $37M | |
| 14 | Clay County | Low | Winter Weather | $42M | |
| 15 | Blue Earth County | Low | Strong Wind | $33M | |
| 16 | Carlton County | Low | Cold Wave | $32M | |
| 17 | Winona County | Low | Landslide | $31M | |
| 18 | Wright County | Low | Strong Wind | $51M | |
| 19 | Mower County | Low | Drought | $27M | |
| 20 | Polk County | Low | Winter Weather | $27M | |
| 21 | Morrison County | Low | Lightning | $30M | |
| 22 | Pine County | Low | Cold Wave | $22M | |
| 23 | Beltrami County | Low | Winter Weather | $20M | |
| 24 | Carver County | Low | Strong Wind | $41M | |
| 25 | Aitkin County | Low | Cold Wave | $15M | |
| 26 | Sherburne County | Low | Strong Wind | $31M | |
| 27 | Cass County | Low | Cold Wave | $14M | |
| 28 | Kandiyohi County | Low | Strong Wind | $18M | |
| 29 | Benton County | Low | Hail | $18M | |
| 30 | Freeborn County | Low | Drought | $17M | |
| 31 | Brown County | Low | Cold Wave | $24M | |
| 32 | Nobles County | Low | Hail | $13M | |
| 33 | Fillmore County | Low | Landslide | $17M | |
| 34 | Pennington County | Low | Wildfire | $18M | |
| 35 | McLeod County | Low | Strong Wind | $17M | |
| 36 | Faribault County | Low | Drought | $13M | |
| 37 | Martin County | Low | Winter Weather | $13M | |
| 38 | Wabasha County | Low | Landslide | $18M | |
| 39 | Nicollet County | Low | Strong Wind | $18M | |
| 40 | Chisago County | Low | Strong Wind | $23M | |
| 41 | Douglas County | Low | Winter Weather | $16M | |
| 42 | Roseau County | Low | Wildfire | $16M | |
| 43 | Lyon County | Low | Winter Weather | $21M | |
| 44 | Goodhue County | Low | Strong Wind | $26M | |
| 45 | Renville County | Very Low | Drought | $12M | |
| 46 | Todd County | Very Low | Wildfire | $11M | |
| 47 | Becker County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $12M | |
| 48 | Steele County | Very Low | Strong Wind | $22M | |
| 49 | Chippewa County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $10M | |
| 50 | Hubbard County | Very Low | Landslide | $11M | |
| 51 | Redwood County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $12M | |
| 52 | Lake County | Very Low | Strong Wind | $11M | |
| 53 | Koochiching County | Very Low | Cold Wave | $9M | |
| 54 | Yellow Medicine County | Very Low | Heat Wave | $10M | |
| 55 | Houston County | Very Low | Landslide | $14M | |
| 56 | Mille Lacs County | Very Low | Wildfire | $11M | |
| 57 | Cottonwood County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $9M | |
| 58 | Meeker County | Very Low | Hail | $12M | |
| 59 | Isanti County | Very Low | Wildfire | $15M | |
| 60 | Swift County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $8M | |
| 61 | Waseca County | Very Low | Drought | $9M | |
| 62 | Watonwan County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $8M | |
| 63 | Marshall County | Very Low | Drought | $9M | |
| 64 | Sibley County | Very Low | Strong Wind | $13M | |
| 65 | Le Sueur County | Very Low | Strong Wind | $14M | |
| 66 | Jackson County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $10M | |
| 67 | Kanabec County | Very Low | Cold Wave | $9M | |
| 68 | Pope County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $8M | |
| 69 | Murray County | Very Low | Drought | $7M | |
| 70 | Lac qui Parle County | Very Low | Cold Wave | $7M | |
| 71 | Lincoln County | Very Low | Hail | $7M | |
| 72 | Pipestone County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $8M | |
| 73 | Norman County | Very Low | Drought | $6M | |
| 74 | Dodge County | Very Low | Drought | $10M | |
| 75 | Wadena County | Very Low | Wildfire | $5M | |
| 76 | Cook County | Very Low | Wildfire | $4M | |
| 77 | Rock County | Very Low | Hail | $7M | |
| 78 | Big Stone County | Very Low | Cold Wave | $4M | |
| 79 | Mahnomen County | Very Low | Drought | $2M | |
| 80 | Stevens County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $6M | |
| 81 | Traverse County | Very Low | Hail | $4M | |
| 82 | Wilkin County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $5M | |
| 83 | Kittson County | Very Low | Wildfire | $6M | |
| 84 | Clearwater County | Very Low | Wildfire | $3M | |
| 85 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | Wildfire | $5M | |
| 86 | Grant County | Very Low | Winter Weather | $4M | |
| 87 | Red Lake County | Very Low | Drought | $3M |
All 87 Minnesota counties, ranked by FEMA National Risk Index score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest natural disaster risk?
Hennepin County has the highest FEMA National Risk Index score in Minnesota at 98.3 (High), driven largely by cold wave.
What is the average natural disaster risk in Minnesota?
Minnesota counties average a National Risk Index score of 42.4 across 87 counties, with 2 rated High or Very High risk.
How much are expected annual losses across Minnesota?
FEMA estimates roughly $2.58B in combined expected annual loss from natural hazards across all Minnesota counties.