Drought Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 85 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Faribault County carries the state's highest drought score at 93.5, with $2M in expected annual drought losses.
3 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $34M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faribault County | High | 13.43 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Freeborn County | High | 15.12 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Mower County | High | 19.41 / yr | $2M | |
| 4 | Polk County | Medium | 8.35 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Marshall County | Medium | 14.10 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Roseau County | Medium | 20.95 / yr | $1M | |
| 7 | Martin County | Medium | 12.25 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Waseca County | Medium | 13.41 / yr | $1M | |
| 9 | Renville County | Medium | 8.92 / yr | $878K | |
| 10 | Blue Earth County | Medium | 12.56 / yr | $930K | |
| 11 | Murray County | Medium | 10.98 / yr | $804K | |
| 12 | Norman County | Medium | 6.39 / yr | $713K | |
| 13 | Lyon County | Medium | 11.35 / yr | $1M | |
| 14 | Redwood County | Medium | 10.82 / yr | $763K | |
| 15 | Watonwan County | Medium | 12.87 / yr | $693K | |
| 16 | Pennington County | Medium | 19.21 / yr | $630K | |
| 17 | Hubbard County | Medium | 13.64 / yr | $454K | |
| 18 | Pipestone County | Medium | 11.07 / yr | $580K | |
| 19 | Lincoln County | Medium | 10.17 / yr | $444K | |
| 20 | Nobles County | Medium | 9.37 / yr | $342K | |
| 21 | Cottonwood County | Medium | 10.28 / yr | $395K | |
| 22 | Mahnomen County | Medium | 11.01 / yr | $252K | |
| 23 | Brown County | Medium | 12.37 / yr | $584K | |
| 24 | Steele County | Medium | 13.65 / yr | $696K | |
| 25 | Jackson County | Low | 8.78 / yr | $448K | |
| 26 | Yellow Medicine County | Low | 8.74 / yr | $367K | |
| 27 | Nicollet County | Low | 14.01 / yr | $430K | |
| 28 | Kandiyohi County | Low | 8.61 / yr | $345K | |
| 29 | Chippewa County | Low | 7.88 / yr | $287K | |
| 30 | Dodge County | Low | 7.74 / yr | $526K | |
| 31 | Red Lake County | Low | 13.95 / yr | $499K | |
| 32 | Sherburne County | Low | 9.09 / yr | $544K | |
| 33 | Sibley County | Low | 7.45 / yr | $505K | |
| 34 | Clearwater County | Low | 19.56 / yr | $303K | |
| 35 | Wadena County | Low | 12.27 / yr | $254K | |
| 36 | Morrison County | Low | 9.21 / yr | $305K | |
| 37 | Lac qui Parle County | Low | 7.29 / yr | $270K | |
| 38 | Beltrami County | Low | 22.85 / yr | $239K | |
| 39 | Benton County | Low | 5.76 / yr | $263K | |
| 40 | Stearns County | Low | 6.81 / yr | $266K | |
| 41 | Olmsted County | Low | 8.11 / yr | $448K | |
| 42 | Rock County | Low | 11.26 / yr | $332K | |
| 43 | Swift County | Low | 8.47 / yr | $215K | |
| 44 | Kittson County | Low | 8.65 / yr | $371K | |
| 45 | Goodhue County | Low | 4.72 / yr | $375K | |
| 46 | Otter Tail County | Low | 2.27 / yr | $165K | |
| 47 | Rice County | Low | 5.57 / yr | $189K | |
| 48 | Todd County | Low | 6.15 / yr | $143K | |
| 49 | Clay County | Low | 2.41 / yr | $180K | |
| 50 | Winona County | Low | 5.76 / yr | $149K | |
| 51 | Lake of the Woods County | Low | 24.16 / yr | $255K | |
| 52 | Wabasha County | Low | 5.88 / yr | $161K | |
| 53 | Becker County | Low | 6.57 / yr | $130K | |
| 54 | Fillmore County | Low | 10.99 / yr | $125K | |
| 55 | Cass County | Low | 13.34 / yr | $88K | |
| 56 | Meeker County | Low | 9.18 / yr | $124K | |
| 57 | Le Sueur County | Low | 7.98 / yr | $165K | |
| 58 | Aitkin County | Low | 13.31 / yr | $72K | |
| 59 | Crow Wing County | Low | 12.39 / yr | $89K | |
| 60 | McLeod County | Low | 5.46 / yr | $100K | |
| 61 | Houston County | Low | 6.82 / yr | $122K | |
| 62 | St. Louis County | Low | 12.68 / yr | $89K | |
| 63 | Pope County | Low | 9.51 / yr | $91K | |
| 64 | Koochiching County | Low | 24.83 / yr | $67K | |
| 65 | Hennepin County | Low | 2.94 / yr | $84K | |
| 66 | Pine County | Low | 9.51 / yr | $63K | |
| 67 | Itasca County | Low | 12.42 / yr | $55K | |
| 68 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 8.78 / yr | $73K | |
| 69 | Carver County | Low | 3.28 / yr | $92K | |
| 70 | Chisago County | Low | 2.33 / yr | $67K | |
| 71 | Kanabec County | Low | 7.40 / yr | $41K | |
| 72 | Douglas County | Low | 2.76 / yr | $42K | |
| 73 | Carlton County | Low | 9.71 / yr | $38K | |
| 74 | Scott County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $62K | |
| 75 | Isanti County | Low | 2.25 / yr | $56K | |
| 76 | Wright County | Low | 5.93 / yr | $60K | |
| 77 | Grant County | Low | 2.72 / yr | $52K | |
| 78 | Dakota County | Low | 1.87 / yr | $50K | |
| 79 | Stevens County | Very Low | 3.31 / yr | $41K | |
| 80 | Anoka County | Very Low | 2.15 / yr | $39K | |
| 81 | Big Stone County | Very Low | 3.32 / yr | $10K | |
| 82 | Cook County | Very Low | 17.48 / yr | $6K | |
| 83 | Lake County | Very Low | 16.91 / yr | $3K | |
| 84 | Washington County | Very Low | 0.78 / yr | $44 | |
| 85 | Ramsey County | Very Low | 2.59 / yr | $11 |
85 Minnesota counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest drought risk?
Faribault County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Minnesota at 93.5 (High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 13.43 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant drought risk?
85 Minnesota counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 3 of them are rated High or Very High.