Natural hazards · May

May, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in May comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is May?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in May to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Tornadoes15%Strong wind9%Cold waves8%Everything else9%

By hazard

What May faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 41 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 May flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in May, from FEMA’s records.

18paid claims since 1979

$286Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 5 claims, $115K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit May

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into MayDeclared for Washington County only

Washington County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around May

May and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Maymostly inland floodingModerate

Marine on St. Croixmostly inland floodingModerate

Hugomostly inland floodingModerate

Stillwatermostly inland floodingModerate

Scandiamostly inland floodingLow

Somersetmostly 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. May covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to May’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of May. 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 May total about $1.7M 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.