Natural hazards · Dayton

Dayton, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dayton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1997.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dayton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dayton to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding61%Cold waves16%Tornadoes10%Heat waves6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Dayton 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 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 58 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Dayton flood?

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

4paid claims since 1997

$11Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19972026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 2 claims, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hennepin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Dayton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Hennepin County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Dayton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into DaytonDeclared for Hennepin County only

Hennepin County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Dayton

Dayton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ramseymostly inland floodingHigh

Champlinmostly inland floodingHigh

Anokamostly inland floodingHigh

Daytonmostly inland floodingHigh

Otsegomostly inland floodingModerate

Elk Rivermostly inland floodingLow

Maple Grovemostly inland floodingLow

Rogersmostly 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. Dayton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dayton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dayton. 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 Dayton total about $3.6M 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.