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Natural hazards · Albert Lea

Albert Lea, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Albert Lea comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Albert Lea?

38
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Albert Lea to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes32%Cold waves12%Strong wind9%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Albert Lea faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Albert Lea flood?

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

24paid claims since 1978
$756Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $22K
  • Severe flooding: 1 claim, $3K

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. Albert Lea isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Freeborn County.
Disasters that hit Albert Lea

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Albert LeaDeclared for Freeborn County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

123 households applied for aid $600K aid approved $382K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

190 households applied for aid $357K aid approved $83K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2014

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$37K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$9K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$45K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

327 households applied for aid $854K aid approved $159K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$8K to the City of Albert Lea for repairs
Freeborn County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Albert Lea

Albert Lea and the towns around it

Albert Lea: Low, mostly inland floodingBancroft: Low, mostly inland floodingPickerel Lake: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFreeman: Low, mostly inland floodingHayward: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClarks Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBath: Moderate, mostly inland floodingManchester: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRiceland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingConger: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNunda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlbert Lea: Low, mostly inland flooding Albert LeaAlbert LeaBancroftPickerel Lake
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Pickerel Lakemostly inland floodingModerate
Bancroftmostly inland floodingLow
Albert Leamostly inland floodingLow
Albert Leamostly 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. Albert Lea covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Albert Lea’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Albert Lea. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Albert Lea total about $6.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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