Natural hazards · River

River, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is River?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in River to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Cold waves14%Drought7%Everything else18%

By hazard

What River faces

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

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 River flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in River.

Disasters that hit River

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into RiverDeclared for Red Lake County only

Red Lake County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around River

River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

River Fallsmostly inland floodingVery high

Emardvillemostly inland floodingVery high

Rivermostly inland floodingHigh

Gervaismostly inland floodingHigh

Browns Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

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