Natural hazards · Oakdale

Oakdale, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oakdale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oakdale?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oakdale to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding31%Tornadoes26%Cold waves15%Strong wind14%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Oakdale 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

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% 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 Oakdale flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$9Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Oakdale 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 Oakdale

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into OakdaleDeclared for Washington County only

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

Around Oakdale

Oakdale and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mahtomedimostly inland floodingLow

Pine Springsmostly inland floodingLow

Lake Elmomostly inland floodingLow

Woodburymostly inland floodingLow

Oakdalemostly 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. Oakdale covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oakdale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oakdale. 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 Oakdale total about $7.5M 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.