Dennison’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dennison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1981. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Dennison’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Dennison flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dennison, from FEMA’s records.
Dennison isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Goodhue County.How exposed is Dennison?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.
Rated higher than 1,991 of the 2,631 Minnesota towns we cover.
Dennison is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Dennison 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
Hail
Cold waves
2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Dennison
Disasters that paid out in Dennison itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Dennison) and its biggest flood years.
- 2024Severe Storms and Flooding1 household applied for aid$10K to the City of Dennison for repairs
- 2012Severe Storms and Flooding$5K to the City of Dennison for repairs
Goodhue County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of Dennison after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Dennison archive →Get ready for what Dennison 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.
Dennison and its neighbors
Dennison ranks 2nd calmest of 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennison | High | inland flooding | 4 |
| Warsaw | High | inland flooding | 0 |
| Northfield | Moderate | 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–May
The month each of Goodhue 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 Dennison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dennison.
- 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 Dennison.
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. Weather alerts: National Weather Service. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.