Natural hazards · Elk River

Elk River, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elk River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1985.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elk River?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elk River to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding52%Tornadoes17%Strong wind12%Cold waves7%Hail5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Elk River faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Elk River flood?

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

9paid claims since 1985

$30Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19852026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sherburne County.

Disasters that hit Elk River

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Elk RiverDeclared for Sherburne County only

Sherburne County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Elk River

Elk River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ramseymostly inland floodingHigh

Daytonmostly inland floodingHigh

Big Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Otsegomostly inland floodingModerate

Elk Rivermostly inland floodingLow

Nowthenmostly inland floodingLow

Livoniamostly 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. Elk River covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elk River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Elk River. 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 Elk River total about $7.2M 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.