Natural hazards · Lonsdale

Lonsdale, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lonsdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lonsdale?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lonsdale to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding31%Tornadoes28%Cold waves16%Strong wind13%Hail8%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Lonsdale faces

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Lonsdale flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rice County.

Disasters that hit Lonsdale

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LonsdaleDeclared for Rice County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

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

Around Lonsdale

Lonsdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Wheatlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Webstermostly inland floodingModerate

Lonsdalemostly 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. Lonsdale covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lonsdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lonsdale. 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 Lonsdale total about $1.4M 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.