Red Lake County, MN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Red Lake County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2022. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Red Lake County's highest-rated hazards are drought, wildfire, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 21 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (9th 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. Red Lake County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1966, covering 6 disaster types including flood (14), 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 |
| 2011 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2010 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2006 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 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 | Very Low | 48.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 8.2 | 1 | 0 | $250K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 5.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8.6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.3 | 18 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 7.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 41.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 25.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 3.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 61.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 22.6 | 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
Red Lake County ranks in the 9th 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 | 9th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 2nd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 30th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 24th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 31st | 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 | 52nd | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 54th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 59.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 21 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 8 in 2016–20 vs 13 in 2021–25 .
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 Red Lake County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Red Lake County, Minnesota are drought, wildfire, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Red Lake County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Red Lake County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2022. The most common disaster type on record is flood (14 declarations).
Has Red Lake County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Red Lake County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2022.
How does Red Lake 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 Clearwater County, MN has the lowest (Very Low). Red Lake County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Red Lake County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Red Lake 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. Red Lake County's composite score of 2 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 2% of US counties.