Natural hazards · Springfield

Springfield, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Springfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1983.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Springfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Springfield to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding38%Cold waves37%Tornadoes8%Strong wind6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Springfield faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Springfield flood?

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

7paid claims since 1983

$347Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 1 claim, $51K
June Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $22K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Brown County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

13flood-prone homes bought out and moved

2storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Springfield

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpringfieldDeclared for Brown County only

Brown County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Springfield

Springfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Burnstownmostly inland floodingModerate

North Starmostly 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. Springfield 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 Springfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Springfield. 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.