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 58 claims here since 1978. 6 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 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding85%Lightning6%Everything else9%

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

85% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

58paid claims since 1978

$827Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 3 claims, $11K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Duluth

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DuluthDeclared for St. Louis County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

72 households applied for aid $191K aid approved $97K to the City of Duluth for repairs

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$189K to the City of Duluth for repairs

2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9.5M to the City of Duluth for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding

$8.9M to the City of Duluth for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$238K to the City of Duluth for repairs

1999

Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding

$387K to the City 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

Superiormostly cold wavesModerate

Canosiamostly inland floodingLow

Lakewoodmostly inland floodingLow

Twin Lakesmostly cold wavesLow

Rice Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Duluthmostly inland floodingLow

Proctormostly inland floodingLow

Midwaymostly inland floodingLow

Superiormostly cold wavesLow

Hermantownmostly inland floodingLow

Olivermostly cold wavesLow

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 33 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Duluth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City 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 $22.4M 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.