Natural hazards · Fish Lake

Fish Lake, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fish Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2011. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fish Lake?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fish Lake to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes10%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Fish Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Fish Lake flood?

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

2paid claims since 2011

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chisago County.

Disasters that hit Fish Lake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fish LakeDeclared for Chisago County only

2011

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$51K to the Township of Fish Lake for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$6K to the Township of Fish Lake for repairs

Chisago County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Fish Lake

Fish Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Harrismostly inland floodingHigh

Fish Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Nesselmostly inland floodingHigh

North Branchmostly inland floodingModerate

Cambridgemostly 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. Fish Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fish Lake’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Fish Lake. 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 Fish Lake total about $2.7M 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.