Minnesota lightning risk
St. Louis County has the highest lightning risk in Minnesota, scoring 97.6 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Minnesota have decreased 58% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | 97.6 | Very High | 8 |
| 2 | Anoka County | 92 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 3 | Hennepin County | 90.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 4 | Morrison County | 88.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Washington County | 88.4 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 6 | Stearns County | 86.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Dakota County | 84.8 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Itasca County | 77.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Cook County | 76.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 10 | Ramsey County | 73.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Pine County | 72.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 12 | Crow Wing County | 71.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 13 | Lake County | 70.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Carlton County | 65.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 15 | Wright County | 62.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 16 | Sherburne County | 61 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Todd County | 55.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Olmsted County | 54.4 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 19 | Chisago County | 54.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Cass County | 54 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 21 | Scott County | 51.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Aitkin County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 23 | Benton County | 49.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 24 | Otter Tail County | 49.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 25 | Winona County | 46.5 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 26 | Kandiyohi County | 45.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 27 | Beltrami County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 28 | Rice County | 43 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 29 | Isanti County | 42.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 30 | Douglas County | 42.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Kanabec County | 40.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 32 | Mille Lacs County | 40.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 33 | Carver County | 38.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 34 | Nobles County | 31.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 35 | Goodhue County | 31 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 36 | Clay County | 30.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 37 | Wadena County | 30.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 38 | Meeker County | 29.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Hubbard County | 28.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 40 | Faribault County | 26.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Wabasha County | 24.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Koochiching County | 23.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Houston County | 23.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 44 | Mower County | 23.4 | Very Low | 2 |
| 45 | Blue Earth County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | McLeod County | 22.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Roseau County | 21.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Becker County | 20.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Martin County | 20.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Steele County | 20.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Dodge County | 19.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 52 | Fillmore County | 19.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Jackson County | 18.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | Redwood County | 18.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Watonwan County | 17.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 56 | Freeborn County | 17.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 57 | Mahnomen County | 16 | Very Low | 0 |
| 58 | Polk County | 15.5 | Very Low | 2 |
| 59 | Pope County | 15.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 60 | Renville County | 15.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 61 | Chippewa County | 14.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 62 | Pennington County | 14.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 63 | Swift County | 12.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 64 | Nicollet County | 10.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 65 | Grant County | 10.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 66 | Marshall County | 9.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 67 | Cottonwood County | 9.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 68 | Waseca County | 9.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 69 | Le Sueur County | 8.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 70 | Clearwater County | 8.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 71 | Stevens County | 8.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 72 | Sibley County | 6.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 73 | Big Stone County | 6.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 74 | Kittson County | 6.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 75 | Brown County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 76 | Traverse County | 5.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 77 | Norman County | 5.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 78 | Lyon County | 4.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 79 | Murray County | 4 | Very Low | 1 |
| 80 | Lac qui Parle County | 3.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 81 | Red Lake County | 3.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 82 | Wilkin County | 3.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 83 | Yellow Medicine County | 3.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 84 | Pipestone County | 2.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 85 | Lincoln County | 1.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 86 | Lake of the Woods County | 1.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 87 | Rock County | 1.4 | Very Low | 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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Minnesota:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Minnesota?
St. Louis County, MN has the highest lightning risk in Minnesota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.6 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Minnesota are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 87 scored Minnesota counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Minnesota?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.