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Minnesota drought risk

87 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Faribault County has the highest drought risk in Minnesota, scoring 93.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Faribault County 93.5 Relatively High 0
2 Freeborn County 93.1 Relatively High 0
3 Mower County 91.9 Relatively High 0
4 Polk County 89.2 Relatively Moderate 0
5 Marshall County 87.1 Relatively Moderate 0
6 Roseau County 84.7 Relatively Moderate 0
7 Martin County 83.2 Relatively Moderate 0
8 Waseca County 80 Relatively Moderate 0
9 Renville County 79.2 Relatively Moderate 0
10 Blue Earth County 78.8 Relatively Moderate 0
11 Murray County 77.5 Relatively Moderate 0
12 Norman County 76.7 Relatively Moderate 0
13 Lyon County 76.4 Relatively Moderate 0
14 Redwood County 76.3 Relatively Moderate 0
15 Watonwan County 75.3 Relatively Moderate 0
16 Pennington County 70.2 Relatively Moderate 0
17 Hubbard County 67.8 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Pipestone County 67.3 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Lincoln County 66.9 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Nobles County 66.4 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Cottonwood County 66.3 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Mahnomen County 65.9 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Brown County 64.9 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Steele County 64.2 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Jackson County 63.6 Relatively Low 0
26 Yellow Medicine County 63.2 Relatively Low 0
27 Nicollet County 63.1 Relatively Low 0
28 Kandiyohi County 62.5 Relatively Low 0
29 Chippewa County 62.4 Relatively Low 0
30 Dodge County 61.8 Relatively Low 0
31 Red Lake County 61.8 Relatively Low 0
32 Sherburne County 61.6 Relatively Low 0
33 Sibley County 60.9 Relatively Low 0
34 Clearwater County 60.2 Relatively Low 0
35 Wadena County 59.5 Relatively Low 0
36 Lac qui Parle County 59.1 Relatively Low 0
37 Morrison County 59.1 Relatively Low 0
38 Beltrami County 58.4 Relatively Low 0
39 Benton County 57.7 Relatively Low 0
40 Stearns County 57.2 Relatively Low 0
41 Olmsted County 57.1 Relatively Low 0
42 Rock County 56.9 Relatively Low 0
43 Swift County 56.8 Relatively Low 0
44 Kittson County 54.6 Relatively Low 0
45 Goodhue County 54 Relatively Low 0
46 Otter Tail County 53.1 Relatively Low 0
47 Rice County 53 Relatively Low 0
48 Todd County 51.2 Relatively Low 0
49 Clay County 49.4 Relatively Low 0
50 Winona County 49.3 Relatively Low 0
51 Lake of the Woods County 49.1 Relatively Low 0
52 Wabasha County 48.8 Relatively Low 0
53 Becker County 48.4 Relatively Low 0
54 Fillmore County 46.8 Relatively Low 0
55 Cass County 46.2 Relatively Low 0
56 Le Sueur County 43.8 Relatively Low 0
57 Meeker County 43.8 Relatively Low 0
58 Aitkin County 43.2 Relatively Low 0
59 Crow Wing County 42.6 Relatively Low 0
60 McLeod County 42.5 Relatively Low 0
61 Houston County 42.3 Relatively Low 0
62 St. Louis County 42.2 Relatively Low 0
63 Pope County 41.9 Relatively Low 0
64 Koochiching County 41.6 Relatively Low 0
65 Hennepin County 40.7 Relatively Low 0
66 Pine County 40.2 Relatively Low 0
67 Itasca County 39.8 Relatively Low 0
68 Mille Lacs County 39.1 Relatively Low 0
69 Carver County 36.2 Relatively Low 0
70 Chisago County 35.2 Relatively Low 0
71 Kanabec County 33.8 Relatively Low 0
72 Douglas County 33.5 Relatively Low 0
73 Carlton County 33.1 Relatively Low 0
74 Scott County 32.8 Relatively Low 0
75 Isanti County 32.3 Relatively Low 0
76 Wright County 32.2 Relatively Low 0
77 Grant County 31.9 Relatively Low 0
78 Dakota County 31.5 Relatively Low 0
79 Stevens County 29.6 Very Low 0
80 Anoka County 29 Very Low 0
81 Big Stone County 23.9 Very Low 0
82 Cook County 22.1 Very Low 0
83 Lake County 18.5 Very Low 0
84 Washington County 12.9 Very Low 0
85 Ramsey County 12.8 Very Low 0
86 Traverse County 0 No Rating 0
87 Wilkin County 0 No Rating 0

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Drought risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Minnesota:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest drought risk county in Minnesota?

Faribault County, MN has the highest drought risk in Minnesota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 93.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").

What causes drought risk in Minnesota?

Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.