Natural hazards · Otsego

Otsego, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Otsego comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1997.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Otsego?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Otsego to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding55%Tornadoes16%Strong wind12%Hail6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Otsego faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 99 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Otsego flood?

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

2paid claims since 1997

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wright County.

Disasters that hit Otsego

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into OtsegoDeclared for Wright County only

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

Around Otsego

Otsego and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Daytonmostly inland floodingHigh

Big Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Otsegomostly inland floodingModerate

Monticellomostly inland floodingModerate

Elk Rivermostly inland floodingLow

St. Michaelmostly inland floodingLow

Albertvillemostly inland floodingLow

Rogersmostly 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. Otsego covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Otsego’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Otsego. 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 Otsego total about $5.4M 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.