Pennington County, MN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Pennington County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2022. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Pennington County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, winter weather, and drought, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 43% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (14th 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. Pennington County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1966, covering 6 disaster types including flood (11), severe storm (4), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2010 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
| 1999 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm And Flooding |
| 1997 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
Showing the 10 most recent of 20 total declarations since 1966.
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 | Relatively Low | 82.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.8 | 2 | 0 | $252K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 26.4 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 41.3 | 29 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 20.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 40.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 14.2 | 1 | 0 | $500 |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 70.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 18.4 | 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
Pennington County ranks in the 14th 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 | 14th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 4th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 22nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 32nd | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 51st | Moderate |
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 | 69th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 73rd | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 50.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 36 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 23 in 2016–20 vs 13 in 2021–25 (-43% — 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 Pennington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Pennington County, Minnesota are wildfire, winter weather, and drought. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Pennington County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Pennington County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2022. The most common disaster type on record is flood (11 declarations).
Has Pennington County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Pennington County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2022.
How does Pennington County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Polk County, MN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Red Lake County, MN has the lowest (Very Low). Pennington County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Pennington County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Pennington 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. Pennington County's composite score of 47 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 47% of US counties.