Natural hazards · Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cedar Lake 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 Cedar Lake?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cedar Lake to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding44%Strong wind19%Tornadoes18%Cold waves9%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Cedar Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

19% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 33 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 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 Cedar Lake flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Cedar Lake.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Scott County.

Disasters that hit Cedar Lake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Cedar LakeDeclared for Scott County only

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$113K to the Township of Cedar Lake for repairs

2014

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

$38K to the Township of Cedar Lake for repairs

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

Around Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Helenamostly inland floodingModerate

Cedar Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Wheatlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Spring Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

New Marketmostly 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. Cedar Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cedar Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Cedar Lake. 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 Cedar Lake total about $1.6M 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.