Delano’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Delano comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1984. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Delano’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Delano?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 2,202 of the 2,631 Minnesota towns we cover.
Delano is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Delano faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Does Delano flood? Sometimes: 14 flood claims since 1984
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Delano, from FEMA’s records.
- The Severe flooding1 claim · $140
- The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $1K
Delano isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wright County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Delano
Disasters that paid out in Delano itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Delano) and its biggest flood years.
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$159K to the City of Delano for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$176K to the City of Delano for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
- 2002Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes$38K to the City of Delano for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$59K to the City of Delano for repairs
Wright County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of Delano after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Delano archive →Get ready for what Delano actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Delano and its neighbors
How storm and flood risk compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delano | High | inland flooding | 14 |
| Franklin | High | inland flooding | 0 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in March–April
The month each of Wright County’s 15 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Delano’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Delano.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Delano.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.