Lake of the Woods County, MN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Lake of the Woods County has experienced 18 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms And Flooding in 2023. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Lake of the Woods County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, drought, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Very Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 56% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (4th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Lake of the Woods County has been designated in 18 declarations since 1965, covering 4 disaster types including flood (12), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2022 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
| 2001 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 1997 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
Showing the 10 most recent of 18 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 17.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.3 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 5.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 5.2 | 4 | 0 | $10K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 5.3 | 22 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 24.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 0.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 16.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Lake of the Woods County ranks in the 4th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 9th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 3rd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 23rd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 16th | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 64th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 66th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 81.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 26 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 18 in 2016–20 vs 8 in 2021–25 (-56% — frequency decreasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Lake of the Woods County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota are wildfire, drought, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Lake of the Woods County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Lake of the Woods County has received 18 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2023. The most common disaster type on record is flood (12 declarations).
Has Lake of the Woods County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Lake of the Woods County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Storms And Flooding in 2023.
How does Lake of the Woods County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Beltrami County, MN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Red Lake County, MN has the lowest (Very Low). Lake of the Woods County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Lake of the Woods County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Lake of the Woods County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Lake of the Woods County's composite score of 4 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 4% of US counties.