Natural hazards · Richfield

Richfield, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Richfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Richfield?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Richfield to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding31%Cold waves28%Tornadoes22%Heat waves11%Hail6%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Richfield 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

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Richfield flood?

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

9paid claims since 1978

$30Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hennepin County.

Disasters that hit Richfield

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RichfieldDeclared for Hennepin County only

2014

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

$101K to the City of Richfield for repairs

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

Around Richfield

Richfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Minneapolismostly inland floodingLow

Bloomingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Edinamostly inland floodingLow

Richfieldmostly 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. Richfield covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Richfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Richfield. 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 Richfield total about $10.4M 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.