Natural hazards · Northern

Northern, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Northern comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high 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 Northern?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Northern to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves16%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Northern faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Northern flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Beltrami County.

Disasters that hit Northern

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NorthernDeclared for Beltrami County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$19K to the Township of Northern for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$14K to the Township of Northern for repairs

Beltrami County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Northern

Northern and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northernmostly inland floodingHigh

Turtle Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Turtle Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Bemidjimostly inland floodingModerate

Frohnmostly inland floodingLow

Grant Valleymostly inland floodingLow

Ecklesmostly 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. Northern covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Northern’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Northern. 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 Northern total about $3.2M 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.