Natural hazards · Rock Lake

Rock Lake, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rock Lake 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 Rock Lake?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rock Lake to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding43%Drought17%Cold waves16%Hail12%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Rock Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

17% of expected damage

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

Ice 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 Rock Lake flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Rock 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: Lyon County.

Disasters that hit Rock Lake

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rock LakeDeclared for Lyon County only

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

Around Rock Lake

Rock Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rock Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Custermostly inland floodingHigh

Lyonsmostly inland floodingHigh

Shelburnemostly 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. Rock Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rock Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Rock 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 Rock Lake total about $2.5M 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.