Natural hazards · Bridgewater

Bridgewater, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bridgewater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2013. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bridgewater?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bridgewater to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes21%Strong wind12%Hail9%Cold waves9%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Bridgewater faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice 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 Bridgewater flood?

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

2paid claims since 2013

$26Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rice County.

Disasters that hit Bridgewater

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BridgewaterDeclared for Rice County only

2014

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

$63K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$97K to the Township of Bridgewater for repairs

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

Around Bridgewater

Bridgewater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cannon Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Forestmostly inland floodingModerate

Northfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Bridgewatermostly inland floodingModerate

Greenvalemostly inland floodingModerate

Dundasmostly 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. Bridgewater covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bridgewater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bridgewater. 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 Bridgewater total about $6.3M 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.