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Natural hazards · Heron Lake

Heron Lake, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Heron Lake 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 Heron Lake?

67
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Heron Lake to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves15%Tornadoes10%Hail8%Drought6%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Heron Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

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

Lower here

Ice 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 Heron Lake flood?

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

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Heron 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: Jackson County.
Disasters that hit Heron Lake

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Heron LakeDeclared for Jackson County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

71 households applied for aid $324K aid approved $24K to the City of Heron Lake for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm

$7K to the City of Heron Lake for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the City of Heron Lake for repairs
Jackson County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Heron Lake

Heron Lake and the towns around it

Weimer: High, mostly inland floodingWest Heron Lake: High, mostly inland floodingSpringfield: High, mostly inland floodingDelafield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLa Crosse: High, mostly inland floodingHeron Lake: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWilder: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHeron Lake: High, mostly inland flooding Heron LakeWeimer
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Heron Lakemostly inland floodingHigh
Weimermostly inland floodingHigh
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. Heron Lake 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 Heron Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Heron Lake. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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