Natural hazards · Austin

Austin, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Austin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 596 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Austin?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Austin to be higher than in 80% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding68%Tornadoes18%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Austin faces

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

Inland flooding

68% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Austin flood?

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

596paid claims since 1978

$9.1Mpaid to owners

30homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 96 claims, $674K
June Midwest Flooding: 5 claims, $224K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (17) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Austin is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Mower County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

157flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

42flood-prone homes bought out and moved

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Austin

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AustinDeclared for Mower County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

177 households applied for aid $736K aid approved $244K to the City of Austin for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$99K to the City of Austin for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$245K to the City of Austin for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

375 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $748K to the City of Austin for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$7K to the City of Austin for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$234K to the City of Austin for repairs

Mower County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Austin

Austin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Austinmostly inland floodingVery high

Austinmostly inland floodingHigh

Windommostly inland floodingHigh

Red Rockmostly inland floodingHigh

Lansingmostly inland floodingModerate

Mapleviewmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Austin covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Austin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Austin. 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 Austin total about $9.9M 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.