Natural hazards · Prior Lake

Prior Lake, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prior Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 46 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Prior Lake?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prior Lake to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding39%Strong wind19%Tornadoes19%Cold waves12%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Prior Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

19% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 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 Prior Lake flood?

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

46paid claims since 1979

$460Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $8K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Scott County.

Disasters that hit Prior Lake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Prior LakeDeclared for Scott County only

2014

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

$141K to the City of Prior Lake for repairs

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$9K to the City of Prior Lake for repairs

Scott County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Prior Lake

Prior Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Prior Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Credit Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Spring Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Savagemostly inland floodingModerate

Shakopeemostly 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. Prior Lake covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Prior Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Prior Lake. 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 Prior Lake total about $11.3M 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.