Natural hazards · Garfield

Garfield, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garfield?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garfield to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding44%Cold waves27%Drought9%Tornadoes5%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Garfield faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Garfield flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Polk County.

Disasters that hit Garfield

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarfieldDeclared for Polk County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the Township of Garfield for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$4K to the Township of Garfield for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$940 to the Township of Garfield for repairs

Polk County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Garfield

Garfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Garfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Godfreymostly inland floodingHigh

Libertymostly inland floodingHigh

Sundalmostly cold wavesModerate

Gardenmostly 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. Garfield 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 Garfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Garfield. 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.