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Natural hazards · New Ulm

New Ulm, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Ulm comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1993. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is New Ulm?

60
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Ulm to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves48%Inland flooding33%Tornadoes8%Strong wind5%Everything else5%
By hazard

What New Ulm faces

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

Cold waves

48% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places
Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 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 New Ulm flood?

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

12paid claims since 1993
$53Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19932026

Biggest named events

  • Severe flooding: 3 claims, $14K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. New Ulm isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Brown County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

15buildings floodproofed
6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit New Ulm

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into New UlmDeclared for Brown County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$660K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2014

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$160K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$557K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2010

Flooding

$308K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$55K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$175K to the City of New Ulm for repairs
Brown County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around New Ulm

New Ulm and the towns around it

Milford: Low, mostly cold wavesCourtland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCottonwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLafayette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Newton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSigel: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHome: Low, mostly cold wavesCambria: High, mostly inland floodingBrighton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCourtland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNicollet: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGranby: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLinden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBernadotte: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLafayette: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCornish: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Ulm: High, mostly cold waves New UlmMilfordCourtlandCottonwoodLafayette
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
New Ulmmostly cold wavesHigh
Courtlandmostly inland floodingModerate
Lafayettemostly inland floodingModerate
Cottonwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Milfordmostly cold wavesLow
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. New Ulm covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to New Ulm’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of New Ulm. 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 New Ulm total about $8.7M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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