St. Paul is calmer than 75% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. Paul comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 44 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about St. Paul’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does St. Paul flood? Sometimes: 44 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Paul, from FEMA’s records.
- The Severe flooding10 claims · $388K
St. Paul isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Ramsey County.How exposed is St. Paul?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.
Calmer than 2,318 of the 2,631 Minnesota towns we cover.
St. Paul covers 85 census tracts, combined by population.
What St. Paul faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Cold waves
Tornadoes
Heat waves
Hail
6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Paul
Disasters that paid out in St. Paul itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of St. Paul) and its biggest flood years.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding$1.2M to the City of St. Paul for repairs
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$1.4M to the City of St. Paul for repairs9 flood claims paid that year
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$867K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
- 2010Flooding$439K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$1.2M to the City of St. Paul for repairs11 flood claims paid that year
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$454K to the City of St. Paul for repairs
Ramsey County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Old photos of St. Paul after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Paul archive →Get ready for what St. Paul actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
St. Paul and its neighbors
St. Paul ranks 6th calmest of 10 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendota | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Minneapolis | Low | inland flooding | 108 |
| Mendota Heights | Low | inland flooding | 2 |
| South St. Paul | Low | inland flooding | 3 |
| St. Paul | Low | inland flooding | 44 |
| Falcon Heights | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Maplewood | Low | inland flooding | 5 |
| Lilydale | Very low | inland flooding | 34 |
| Roseville | Very low | inland flooding | 5 |
| West St. Paul | Very low | tornadoes | 4 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in March–May
The month each of Ramsey County’s 16 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to St. Paul’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of St. Paul.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across St. Paul, expected losses total about $93.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Paul.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.