Natural hazards · Afton

Afton, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Afton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Afton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Afton to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes20%Strong wind10%Cold waves8%Hail6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Afton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Afton flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Afton, from FEMA’s records.

27paid claims since 1978

$307Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 9 claims, $154K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $2K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $801

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Afton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Afton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Afton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Afton.

Brought FEMA money into AftonDeclared for Washington County only

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$21K to the City of Afton for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$15K to the City of Afton for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$228K to the City of Afton for repairs

Washington County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Afton

Afton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Marys Pointmostly inland floodingHigh

Lake St. Croix Beachmostly inland floodingHigh

Lakelandmostly inland floodingHigh

Aftonmostly inland floodingModerate

Denmarkmostly inland floodingModerate

West Lakelandmostly inland floodingModerate

Troymostly inland floodingLow

Woodburymostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Afton is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Afton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Afton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.