Minnesota strong wind risk
Dakota County has the highest strong wind risk in Minnesota, scoring 99.4 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota County | 99.4 | Very High | 0 |
| 2 | Hennepin County | 98.9 | Very High | 0 |
| 3 | Anoka County | 98.8 | Very High | 0 |
| 4 | Scott County | 98.8 | Very High | 0 |
| 5 | Washington County | 98.3 | Very High | 0 |
| 6 | Stearns County | 97.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Rice County | 96.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Blue Earth County | 95.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Wright County | 95 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Carver County | 94.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Ramsey County | 90.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Lake County | 89.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Itasca County | 88 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Sherburne County | 87.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Kandiyohi County | 86.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Nicollet County | 86.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 17 | Otter Tail County | 86.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | McLeod County | 82.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Goodhue County | 82.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Freeborn County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Steele County | 79.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Clay County | 78.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Renville County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Martin County | 77.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Benton County | 77.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Chisago County | 76.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Crow Wing County | 76.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Sibley County | 75.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Le Sueur County | 75.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Mower County | 74.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Wabasha County | 74 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Faribault County | 73.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Douglas County | 73.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Waseca County | 73 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Brown County | 71.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Meeker County | 71.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | St. Louis County | 71.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Olmsted County | 70.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Nobles County | 68.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Morrison County | 68 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Polk County | 65.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Todd County | 61.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 43 | Cass County | 61.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Redwood County | 60.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 45 | Watonwan County | 55.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Cottonwood County | 53.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Chippewa County | 53.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Beltrami County | 52.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Yellow Medicine County | 51 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Isanti County | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Becker County | 49.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Hubbard County | 45.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Winona County | 45.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Mille Lacs County | 43.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Dodge County | 43.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Swift County | 43.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Murray County | 41.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Pine County | 40.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Norman County | 37.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Pope County | 36.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Wadena County | 36.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Lac qui Parle County | 35.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Lyon County | 34.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Aitkin County | 34.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Pipestone County | 33.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Traverse County | 33.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Stevens County | 31 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Lincoln County | 29.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Wilkin County | 28 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 70 | Kanabec County | 27.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Fillmore County | 27.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Mahnomen County | 27.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Carlton County | 24 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 74 | Rock County | 22 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Jackson County | 21.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Pennington County | 20.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 77 | Big Stone County | 20.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Marshall County | 19.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Houston County | 18.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Grant County | 17.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Clearwater County | 15.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 82 | Roseau County | 14.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 83 | Cook County | 9.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 84 | Koochiching County | 8.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 85 | Red Lake County | 7.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 86 | Kittson County | 7.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 87 | Lake of the Woods County | 3 | 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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Minnesota:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in Minnesota?
Dakota County, MN has the highest strong wind risk in Minnesota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.4 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Minnesota are rated Very High for strong wind risk?
5 of 87 scored Minnesota counties are rated "Very High" for strong wind risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes strong wind risk in Minnesota?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.