Natural hazards · Duluth

Duluth, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Duluth comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1993. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Duluth?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Duluth to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding56%Cold waves33%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Duluth faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesEarthquakesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Duluth flood?

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

3paid claims since 1993

$84Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Louis County.

Disasters that hit Duluth

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DuluthDeclared for St. Louis County only

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$65K to the Township of Duluth for repairs

1999

Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding

$85K to the Township of Duluth for repairs

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

Around Duluth

Duluth and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Normannamostly inland floodingModerate

Aldenmostly inland floodingModerate

Duluthmostly inland floodingLow

Lakewoodmostly 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. Duluth covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Duluth’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Duluth. 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 Duluth total about $1.4M 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.