Natural hazards · Sandstone

Sandstone, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sandstone comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sandstone?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sandstone to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves41%Inland flooding41%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Sandstone faces

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

Cold waves

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 25 years in the area

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 Sandstone flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pine County.

Disasters that hit Sandstone

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SandstoneDeclared for Pine County only

2023

Severe Storms and Flooding

$29K to the Township of Sandstone for repairs

2001

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$12K to the Township of Sandstone for repairs

Pine County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Sandstone

Sandstone and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Finlaysonmostly inland floodingModerate

Partridgemostly inland floodingModerate

Dell Grovemostly inland floodingLow

Barrymostly inland floodingLow

Sandstonemostly cold wavesLow

Arlonemostly cold wavesLow

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