Natural hazards · Leaf River

Leaf River, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Leaf River 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 Leaf River?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Leaf River to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding58%Cold waves11%Tornadoes8%Drought8%Strong wind6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Leaf River faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Leaf River flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Leaf 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: Wadena County.

Disasters that hit Leaf River

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Leaf RiverDeclared for Wadena County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Township of Leaf River for repairs

Wadena County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Leaf River

Leaf River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Blufftonmostly inland floodingModerate

Leaf Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Rockwoodmostly inland floodingModerate

Wing Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Wadenamostly inland floodingVery 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. Leaf 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 Leaf River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Leaf 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.