Natural hazards · Franconia

Franconia, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franconia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Franconia?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Franconia to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes15%Cold waves10%Strong wind8%Hail5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Franconia faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 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 Franconia flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Franconia 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 Franconia

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranconiaDeclared for Chisago County only

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$6K to the Township of Franconia for repairs

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

Around Franconia

Franconia and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Franconiamostly inland floodingModerate

Shafermostly inland floodingModerate

Chisago Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Scandiamostly inland floodingLow

Lindstrommostly inland floodingLow

Osceolamostly cold wavesVery low

Farmingtonmostly cold wavesVery low

Osceolamostly cold wavesVery low

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. Franconia is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Franconia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Franconia. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.