Lightning Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 87 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. St. Louis County carries the state's highest lightning score at 97.6, with $3M in expected annual lightning losses.
7 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $25M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | Very High | 27.24 / yr | $3M | |
| 2 | Anoka County | High | 33.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Hennepin County | High | 35.98 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Morrison County | High | 31.52 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Washington County | High | 35.30 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Stearns County | High | 32.88 / yr | $1M | |
| 7 | Dakota County | High | 37.40 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Itasca County | Medium | 28.40 / yr | $552K | |
| 9 | Cook County | Medium | 22.85 / yr | $543K | |
| 10 | Ramsey County | Medium | 35.52 / yr | $610K | |
| 11 | Pine County | Medium | 31.29 / yr | $510K | |
| 12 | Crow Wing County | Medium | 30.33 / yr | $555K | |
| 13 | Lake County | Medium | 25.12 / yr | $502K | |
| 14 | Carlton County | Medium | 29.73 / yr | $471K | |
| 15 | Wright County | Medium | 35.37 / yr | $698K | |
| 16 | Sherburne County | Medium | 33.58 / yr | $605K | |
| 17 | Todd County | Low | 31.33 / yr | $259K | |
| 18 | Olmsted County | Low | 37.42 / yr | $527K | |
| 19 | Chisago County | Low | 33.17 / yr | $438K | |
| 20 | Cass County | Low | 29.36 / yr | $213K | |
| 21 | Scott County | Low | 37.36 / yr | $449K | |
| 22 | Aitkin County | Low | 29.82 / yr | $193K | |
| 23 | Benton County | Low | 32.70 / yr | $250K | |
| 24 | Otter Tail County | Low | 30.86 / yr | $208K | |
| 25 | Winona County | Low | 36.91 / yr | $223K | |
| 26 | Kandiyohi County | Low | 34.42 / yr | $212K | |
| 27 | Beltrami County | Low | 27.36 / yr | $181K | |
| 28 | Rice County | Low | 37.61 / yr | $190K | |
| 29 | Isanti County | Low | 33.17 / yr | $303K | |
| 30 | Douglas County | Low | 31.76 / yr | $203K | |
| 31 | Kanabec County | Low | 32.21 / yr | $185K | |
| 32 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 32.54 / yr | $193K | |
| 33 | Carver County | Low | 36.52 / yr | $300K | |
| 34 | Nobles County | Low | 38.38 / yr | $93K | |
| 35 | Goodhue County | Low | 37.26 / yr | $216K | |
| 36 | Clay County | Low | 29.68 / yr | $142K | |
| 37 | Wadena County | Low | 29.92 / yr | $101K | |
| 38 | Meeker County | Low | 35.17 / yr | $142K | |
| 39 | Hubbard County | Low | 28.15 / yr | $101K | |
| 40 | Faribault County | Low | 39.31 / yr | $85K | |
| 41 | Wabasha County | Low | 36.98 / yr | $106K | |
| 42 | Koochiching County | Very Low | 27.12 / yr | $70K | |
| 43 | Houston County | Very Low | 37.03 / yr | $119K | |
| 44 | Mower County | Very Low | 38.60 / yr | $83K | |
| 45 | Blue Earth County | Very Low | 37.47 / yr | $82K | |
| 46 | McLeod County | Very Low | 36.03 / yr | $90K | |
| 47 | Roseau County | Very Low | 26.36 / yr | $82K | |
| 48 | Becker County | Very Low | 29.23 / yr | $71K | |
| 49 | Martin County | Very Low | 38.68 / yr | $64K | |
| 50 | Steele County | Very Low | 37.98 / yr | $128K | |
| 51 | Dodge County | Very Low | 37.84 / yr | $112K | |
| 52 | Fillmore County | Very Low | 37.08 / yr | $70K | |
| 53 | Jackson County | Very Low | 37.90 / yr | $80K | |
| 54 | Redwood County | Very Low | 36.44 / yr | $64K | |
| 55 | Watonwan County | Very Low | 37.56 / yr | $58K | |
| 56 | Freeborn County | Very Low | 39.49 / yr | $61K | |
| 57 | Mahnomen County | Very Low | 28.74 / yr | $34K | |
| 58 | Polk County | Very Low | 27.56 / yr | $55K | |
| 59 | Pope County | Very Low | 33.79 / yr | $59K | |
| 60 | Renville County | Very Low | 35.60 / yr | $51K | |
| 61 | Chippewa County | Very Low | 34.71 / yr | $43K | |
| 62 | Pennington County | Very Low | 26.93 / yr | $58K | |
| 63 | Swift County | Very Low | 34.09 / yr | $41K | |
| 64 | Nicollet County | Very Low | 36.65 / yr | $46K | |
| 65 | Grant County | Very Low | 32.27 / yr | $56K | |
| 66 | Marshall County | Very Low | 26.63 / yr | $37K | |
| 67 | Cottonwood County | Very Low | 37.22 / yr | $29K | |
| 68 | Waseca County | Very Low | 38.53 / yr | $33K | |
| 69 | Le Sueur County | Very Low | 37.42 / yr | $51K | |
| 70 | Clearwater County | Very Low | 27.47 / yr | $29K | |
| 71 | Stevens County | Very Low | 33.22 / yr | $47K | |
| 72 | Sibley County | Very Low | 36.59 / yr | $37K | |
| 73 | Big Stone County | Very Low | 33.20 / yr | $21K | |
| 74 | Kittson County | Very Low | 26.14 / yr | $38K | |
| 75 | Brown County | Very Low | 36.74 / yr | $30K | |
| 76 | Traverse County | Very Low | 32.43 / yr | $18K | |
| 77 | Norman County | Very Low | 28.82 / yr | $16K | |
| 78 | Lyon County | Very Low | 35.97 / yr | $22K | |
| 79 | Murray County | Very Low | 37.30 / yr | $14K | |
| 80 | Lac qui Parle County | Very Low | 34.50 / yr | $12K | |
| 81 | Wilkin County | Very Low | 31.89 / yr | $16K | |
| 82 | Red Lake County | Very Low | 27.27 / yr | $17K | |
| 83 | Yellow Medicine County | Very Low | 35.30 / yr | $11K | |
| 84 | Pipestone County | Very Low | 37.24 / yr | $13K | |
| 85 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 35.57 / yr | $7K | |
| 86 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | 26.58 / yr | $11K | |
| 87 | Rock County | Very Low | 38.60 / yr | $7K |
87 Minnesota counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest lightning risk?
St. Louis County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Minnesota at 97.6 (Very High), with $3M in expected annual losses and about 27.24 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant lightning risk?
87 Minnesota counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 7 of them are rated High or Very High.