Natural hazards · Nelson

Nelson, MN natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nelson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Nelson to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves19%Tornadoes12%Drought7%Strong wind7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Nelson faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Nelson flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Watonwan County.

Disasters that hit Nelson

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into NelsonDeclared for Watonwan County only

Watonwan County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Nelson

Nelson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nelsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Riverdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Adrianmostly inland floodingModerate

Albinmostly inland floodingModerate

Mulliganmostly inland floodingModerate

St. Jamesmostly 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. Nelson 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 Nelson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Nelson. 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.