Natural hazards · Birch Creek

Birch Creek, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Birch Creek comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Birch Creek?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Birch Creek to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding61%Cold waves27%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Birch Creek faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Birch Creek flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Birch Creek.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pine County.

Disasters that hit Birch Creek

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Birch Creek itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Birch Creek.

Brought FEMA money into Birch CreekDeclared for Pine County only

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$53K to the Township of Birch Creek for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$3K to the Township of Birch Creek for repairs

Pine County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Birch Creek

Birch Creek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Birch Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Sturgeon Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Denhammostly inland floodingModerate

Bremenmostly inland floodingModerate

Millwardmostly inland floodingModerate

Split Rockmostly cold wavesLow

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. Birch Creek 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 Birch Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Birch Creek. 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.