Natural hazards · Preston

Preston, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Preston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Preston?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Preston to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Tornadoes9%Cold waves8%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Preston faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Preston flood?

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

26paid claims since 1980

$91Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19802026

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. Preston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Fillmore County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Preston

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PrestonDeclared for Fillmore County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$132K to the City of Preston for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $2K to the City of Preston for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$19K to the City of Preston for repairs

Fillmore County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Preston

Preston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Prestonmostly inland floodingVery high

Carroltonmostly inland floodingVery high

Carimonamostly inland floodingVery high

Fountainmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Preston 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 Preston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Preston. 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.