Natural hazards · Stillwater

Stillwater, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Stillwater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Stillwater?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Stillwater to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Tornadoes13%Cold waves8%Strong wind7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Stillwater faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 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 Stillwater flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979

$310Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 2 claims, $72K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Stillwater

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into StillwaterDeclared for Washington County only

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

Around Stillwater

Stillwater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Stillwatermostly inland floodingHigh

St. Josephmostly inland floodingModerate

Stillwatermostly inland floodingModerate

Oak Park Heightsmostly inland floodingLow

Grantmostly inland floodingLow

Somersetmostly 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. Stillwater covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Stillwater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Stillwater. 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 Stillwater total about $8.5M 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.