TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
ElkGood morning
Natural hazards · Elk

Elk, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elk comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Elk?

42
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elk to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding39%Hail17%Tornadoes15%Cold waves13%Drought6%Strong wind5%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Elk faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

17% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Elk.

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Elk isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Nobles County.
Disasters that hit Elk

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElkDeclared for Nobles County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

$54K to the Township of Elk for repairs
2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$19K to the Township of Elk for repairs
2018

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$13K to the Township of Elk for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the Township of Elk for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$866 to the Township of Elk for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$23K to the Township of Elk for repairs
Nobles County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Elk

Elk and the towns around it

Summit Lake: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWorthington: Low, mostly inland floodingHersey: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSeward: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBloom: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLarkin: Low, mostly inland floodingDewald: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWorthington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLorain: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBigelow: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGraham Lakes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrewster: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAlba: High, mostly inland floodingBondin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElk: Moderate, mostly inland flooding ElkSummit LakeWorthingtonHerseySeward
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Elkmostly inland floodingModerate
Summit Lakemostly inland floodingModerate
Herseymostly inland floodingModerate
Sewardmostly inland floodingModerate
Worthingtonmostly 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 covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elk’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Elk. 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 total about $2.3M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Elk, MNNobles CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Elk is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map