Natural hazards · Westerheim

Westerheim, MN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westerheim comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1997.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Westerheim?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westerheim to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding54%Cold waves19%Drought9%Tornadoes7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Westerheim faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Westerheim flood?

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

2paid claims since 1997

$16Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lyon County.

Disasters that hit Westerheim

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WesterheimDeclared for Lyon County only

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

Around Westerheim

Westerheim and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nordlandmostly inland floodingVery high

Grandviewmostly inland floodingVery high

Westerheimmostly inland floodingModerate

Eidsvoldmostly inland floodingModerate

Vallersmostly inland floodingModerate

Minneotamostly inland floodingModerate

Swede Prairiemostly 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. Westerheim covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westerheim’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Westerheim. 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 Westerheim total about $2.6M 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.