Natural hazards · Shell River

Shell River, MN natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shell River?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shell River to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Cold waves11%Tornadoes8%Strong wind6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Shell 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

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Shell River flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wadena County.

Disasters that hit Shell River

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Shell RiverDeclared for Wadena County only

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

Around Shell River

Shell River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hubbardmostly inland floodingModerate

Shell Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Blueberrymostly inland floodingModerate

Meadowmostly inland floodingModerate

Huntersvillemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Shell River covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shell River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Shell River. 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 Shell River total about $1.4M 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.