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Natural hazards · Rochester

Rochester, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rochester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 526 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rochester?

76
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rochester to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding63%Cold waves17%Tornadoes13%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Rochester faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

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 Rochester flood?

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

526paid claims since 1978
$4.7Mpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19782026

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. Rochester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Olmsted County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Rochester

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RochesterDeclared for Olmsted County only
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,031 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $552K to the City of Rochester for repairs
2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $26K aid approved
Olmsted County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Rochester

Rochester and the towns around it

Cascade: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRochester: High, mostly inland floodingHaverhill: High, mostly inland floodingMarion: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHigh Forest: Low, mostly inland floodingKalmar: Low, mostly inland floodingOronoco: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSalem: Low, mostly inland floodingFarmington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingViola: Low, mostly inland floodingPleasant Grove: Low, mostly inland floodingEyota: Low, mostly inland floodingRock Dell: Low, mostly inland floodingRacine: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPleasant Valley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSumner: Moderate, mostly inland floodingByron: Low, mostly inland floodingMantorville: High, mostly inland floodingNew Haven: Low, mostly inland floodingRochester: High, mostly inland flooding RochesterCascadeRochesterHaverhillMarionHigh ForestKalmar
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh
Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh
Haverhillmostly inland floodingHigh
Cascademostly inland floodingModerate
Marionmostly inland floodingModerate
Kalmarmostly inland floodingLow
High Forestmostly 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. Rochester covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rochester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rochester. 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 Rochester total about $57.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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