Natural hazards · Cascade

Cascade, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cascade comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cascade?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cascade to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding52%Cold waves24%Tornadoes16%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Cascade faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

24% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce 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 Cascade flood?

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

1paid claims since 1978

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Olmsted County.

Disasters that hit Cascade

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CascadeDeclared for Olmsted County only

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$8K to the Township of Cascade for repairs

Olmsted County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Cascade

Cascade and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh

Haverhillmostly inland floodingHigh

Cascademostly inland floodingModerate

Oronocomostly inland floodingModerate

Kalmarmostly 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. Cascade covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cascade’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Cascade. 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 Cascade total about $6.0M 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.