Natural hazards · Hill River

Hill River, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hill River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hill River?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hill River to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding35%Cold waves29%Drought17%Wildfire6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Hill River faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

29% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 20 times a year in the area

Drought

17% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Wildfire

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Hill River flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hill River 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 Hill River

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Hill RiverDeclared for Polk County only

2022

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$19K to the Township of Hill River for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Township of Hill River for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$5K to the Township of Hill River for repairs

1999

Severe Ice Storm and Flooding

$4K to the Township of Hill River for repairs

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

Around Hill River

Hill River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lessormostly inland floodingLow

Hill Rivermostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Edenmostly inland floodingLow

Brandsvoldmostly 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. Hill River 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 Hill River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Hill River. 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.