Natural hazards · High Forest

High Forest, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in High Forest comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is High Forest?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in High Forest to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes18%Cold waves16%Everything else15%

By hazard

What High Forest faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 High Forest flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Olmsted County.

Disasters that hit High Forest

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Olmsted County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching High Forest itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into High ForestDeclared for Olmsted County only

Olmsted County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around High Forest

High Forest and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh

Sumnermostly inland floodingModerate

Racinemostly inland floodingModerate

Pleasant Valleymostly inland floodingModerate

High Forestmostly inland floodingLow

Rock Dellmostly inland floodingLow

Pleasant Grovemostly 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. High Forest covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to High Forest’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of High Forest. 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 High Forest 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.