Natural hazards · Thief River Falls

Thief River Falls, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thief River Falls comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1996. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Thief River Falls?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thief River Falls to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding87%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Thief River Falls faces

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

Inland flooding

87% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Thief River Falls flood?

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

8paid claims since 1996

$13Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pennington County.

Disasters that hit Thief River Falls

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Thief River Falls itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Thief River Falls.

Brought FEMA money into Thief River FallsDeclared for Pennington County only

2022

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$329K to the City of Thief River Falls for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$5K to the City of Thief River Falls for repairs

1999

Severe Ice Storm and Flooding

$19K to the City of Thief River Falls for repairs

Pennington County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Thief River Falls

Thief River Falls and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rocksburymostly inland floodingVery high

Thief River Fallsmostly inland floodingVery high

Northmostly inland floodingVery high

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. Thief River Falls covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Thief River Falls’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Thief River Falls. 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 Thief River Falls total about $3.0M 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.