Strong Wind Risk in Minnesota
All Minnesota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index strong wind score
Strong Wind risk — damaging straight-line winds outside of tornadoes and hurricanes — is rated for 87 of 87 Minnesota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Dakota County carries the state's highest strong wind score at 99.4, with $19M in expected annual strong wind losses.
17 Minnesota counties are rated High or Very High for strong wind, and expected annual losses from strong wind total roughly $154M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Strong Wind
| # | County | Strong Wind Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota County | Very High | 4.75 / yr | $19M | |
| 2 | Hennepin County | Very High | 4.57 / yr | $9M | |
| 3 | Anoka County | Very High | 4.34 / yr | $13M | |
| 4 | Scott County | Very High | 4.74 / yr | $13M | |
| 5 | Washington County | Very High | 4.37 / yr | $11M | |
| 6 | Stearns County | High | 3.23 / yr | $5M | |
| 7 | Rice County | High | 4.73 / yr | $4M | |
| 8 | Blue Earth County | High | 3.79 / yr | $3M | |
| 9 | Wright County | High | 4.23 / yr | $6M | |
| 10 | Carver County | High | 4.72 / yr | $5M | |
| 11 | Ramsey County | High | 4.57 / yr | $2M | |
| 12 | Lake County | High | 0.46 / yr | $2M | |
| 13 | Itasca County | High | 1.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 14 | Sherburne County | High | 4.00 / yr | $3M | |
| 15 | Kandiyohi County | High | 3.03 / yr | $2M | |
| 16 | Nicollet County | High | 3.99 / yr | $2M | |
| 17 | Otter Tail County | High | 2.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 18 | McLeod County | Medium | 4.32 / yr | $2M | |
| 19 | Goodhue County | Medium | 4.40 / yr | $3M | |
| 20 | Freeborn County | Medium | 3.78 / yr | $1M | |
| 21 | Steele County | Medium | 4.09 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | Clay County | Medium | 2.54 / yr | $2M | |
| 23 | Renville County | Medium | 3.42 / yr | $1M | |
| 24 | Martin County | Medium | 3.54 / yr | $1M | |
| 25 | Benton County | Medium | 3.57 / yr | $1M | |
| 26 | Chisago County | Medium | 3.64 / yr | $2M | |
| 27 | Crow Wing County | Medium | 1.89 / yr | $1M | |
| 28 | Sibley County | Medium | 4.19 / yr | $2M | |
| 29 | Le Sueur County | Medium | 4.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Mower County | Medium | 3.72 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Wabasha County | Medium | 3.80 / yr | $1M | |
| 32 | Faribault County | Medium | 3.70 / yr | $955K | |
| 33 | Douglas County | Medium | 2.57 / yr | $1M | |
| 34 | Waseca County | Medium | 3.98 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Brown County | Medium | 3.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 36 | St. Louis County | Medium | 0.71 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Meeker County | Medium | 3.92 / yr | $1M | |
| 38 | Olmsted County | Medium | 3.65 / yr | $2M | |
| 39 | Nobles County | Medium | 3.92 / yr | $767K | |
| 40 | Morrison County | Medium | 2.55 / yr | $1M | |
| 41 | Polk County | Medium | 2.01 / yr | $870K | |
| 42 | Todd County | Medium | 2.52 / yr | $696K | |
| 43 | Cass County | Medium | 1.61 / yr | $603K | |
| 44 | Redwood County | Medium | 3.01 / yr | $767K | |
| 45 | Watonwan County | Medium | 3.44 / yr | $634K | |
| 46 | Cottonwood County | Medium | 3.32 / yr | $582K | |
| 47 | Chippewa County | Medium | 2.73 / yr | $533K | |
| 48 | Beltrami County | Medium | 1.01 / yr | $565K | |
| 49 | Yellow Medicine County | Low | 2.86 / yr | $611K | |
| 50 | Isanti County | Low | 3.65 / yr | $951K | |
| 51 | Becker County | Low | 2.26 / yr | $545K | |
| 52 | Hubbard County | Low | 1.75 / yr | $483K | |
| 53 | Winona County | Low | 3.28 / yr | $515K | |
| 54 | Mille Lacs County | Low | 2.92 / yr | $552K | |
| 55 | Dodge County | Low | 3.88 / yr | $766K | |
| 56 | Swift County | Low | 2.61 / yr | $426K | |
| 57 | Murray County | Low | 3.69 / yr | $431K | |
| 58 | Pine County | Low | 2.06 / yr | $399K | |
| 59 | Norman County | Low | 2.38 / yr | $358K | |
| 60 | Pope County | Low | 2.69 / yr | $420K | |
| 61 | Wadena County | Low | 2.20 / yr | $345K | |
| 62 | Lac qui Parle County | Low | 2.88 / yr | $358K | |
| 63 | Lyon County | Low | 2.95 / yr | $515K | |
| 64 | Aitkin County | Low | 1.61 / yr | $275K | |
| 65 | Pipestone County | Low | 3.73 / yr | $435K | |
| 66 | Traverse County | Low | 2.72 / yr | $344K | |
| 67 | Stevens County | Low | 2.66 / yr | $514K | |
| 68 | Lincoln County | Low | 3.35 / yr | $298K | |
| 69 | Wilkin County | Low | 2.66 / yr | $402K | |
| 70 | Kanabec County | Low | 2.78 / yr | $300K | |
| 71 | Fillmore County | Low | 3.56 / yr | $281K | |
| 72 | Mahnomen County | Low | 1.96 / yr | $161K | |
| 73 | Carlton County | Low | 1.35 / yr | $246K | |
| 74 | Rock County | Low | 4.09 / yr | $290K | |
| 75 | Jackson County | Low | 3.44 / yr | $249K | |
| 76 | Pennington County | Low | 1.61 / yr | $228K | |
| 77 | Big Stone County | Low | 2.75 / yr | $192K | |
| 78 | Marshall County | Low | 1.54 / yr | $203K | |
| 79 | Houston County | Low | 3.22 / yr | $229K | |
| 80 | Grant County | Low | 2.66 / yr | $247K | |
| 81 | Clearwater County | Very Low | 1.53 / yr | $137K | |
| 82 | Roseau County | Very Low | 0.76 / yr | $132K | |
| 83 | Cook County | Very Low | 0.14 / yr | $61K | |
| 84 | Koochiching County | Very Low | 0.55 / yr | $52K | |
| 85 | Red Lake County | Very Low | 1.72 / yr | $87K | |
| 86 | Kittson County | Very Low | 1.20 / yr | $93K | |
| 87 | Lake of the Woods County | Very Low | 0.49 / yr | $29K |
87 Minnesota counties with measurable strong wind risk. See the national strong wind ranking or all Minnesota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota county has the highest strong wind risk?
Dakota County has the highest FEMA strong wind risk score in Minnesota at 99.4 (Very High), with $19M in expected annual losses and about 4.75 events per year.
How many Minnesota counties face significant strong wind risk?
87 Minnesota counties record measurable strong wind risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 17 of them are rated High or Very High.