Mille Lacs County, MN Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 348 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $11.26M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 348
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 57
- 0.4% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 28.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very Low
Score 19.1 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 94.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $6.79B · Agriculture value exposed: $56.57M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $9.78M
Risk by hazard
- WildfireRelatively Low$151K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 960 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.9M/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$406K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$552K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$193K/yr expected annual loss, about 33 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$72.67K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.8 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$464/yr expected annual loss, about once every 14 years
- TornadoRelatively Low$645K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Heat waveVery Low$148K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.9 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$33.4K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$28.6K/yr expected annual loss, about 17 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$3,584/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7,463 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 57 of 14,472 (0.4%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 524
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 41 (8%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 24
- Claims paid since 1978
- $119K
Flood claims paid per year
- Severe flooding$12.38K · 5 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 348 events, 0 deaths, $1.21M in damage
- Hail96
- Thunderstorm Wind82
- Winter Storm74
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill18
- Heavy Snow12
- Winter Weather11
- Cold/Wind Chill9
- Flash Flood9
- Tornado7
- Heat6
Events per year
16 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, EF1 1, F0 4, F1 5, F2 3, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flash Flood04/23/2001
Countywide, Mille Lacs County
$300K damage
What happened
Two to four inches rain fell on saturated ground. The most severe damage occured in Santiago (Sherburne County), where a dike along County Road 11 gave way and allowed water to come crashing into town. About one dozen homes and businesses were flooded and evacuations were necessary. Other damage included flooded basements in Foley (Benton County) and Milaca (Mille Lacs County). County officials reported roads closed in portions of Benton, Meeker, Redwood, Renville and Stearns Counties, with some roads washed out. Intersections were flooded in Willmar (Kandiyohi County).
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind08/15/2020
Onamia, Mille Lacs County
$250K damage
What happened
Two large barns had their roof structure uplifted and blown off south of Onamia.
- TornadoEF1, 2.31 mi path, 50 yd wide08/27/2019
Milaca, Mille Lacs County
$200K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind64 kt wind07/18/2001
Vineland, Mille Lacs County
$100K damage
- TornadoF3, 8 mi path, 800 yd wide09/19/1997
Onamia, Mille Lacs County
What happened
Several buildings destroyed and numerous other buildings damaged. Hundreds of trees down. A number of cattle killed in barn collapse. Damage estimate included in entry for Morrison county. Total path length from 1 NE of Lastup to Onamia was 17 miles.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1.25" hail07/04/2026
Opstead, Mille Lacs County
- Hail1" hail06/19/2026
Page, Mille Lacs County
- Hail0.88" hail06/19/2026
Page, Mille Lacs County
- Thunderstorm Wind58 kt wind06/16/2026
Page, Mille Lacs County
- Hail0.75" hail06/11/2026
Onamia, Mille Lacs County
- Winter Weather04/02/2026
Mille Lacs
- Winter Weather03/15/2026
Mille Lacs
- Winter Weather02/24/2026
Mille Lacs
Drinking water
9 community water systems serve about 11,267 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- PrincetonServes 5,421 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- MilacaServes 3,043 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- OnamiaServes 831 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- IsleServes 820 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Mille Lacs Island ResortServes 400 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- ForestonServes 340 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- PeaseServes 247 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- BockServes 85 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Milaca, 10 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 80°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 1°F in Jan. About 30.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 48.9 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20°F | 1°F | 0.77 in | 7.4 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 4°F | 0.85 in | 11.1 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 17°F | 1.43 in | 8.4 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 30°F | 2.74 in | 4.4 in |
| May | 66°F | 43°F | 3.82 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 54°F | 4.31 in | - |
| Jul | 80°F | 59°F | 4.39 in | - |
| Aug | 78°F | 56°F | 3.97 in | - |
| Sep | 70°F | 46°F | 3.19 in | - |
| Oct | 56°F | 34°F | 2.82 in | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 21°F | 1.41 in | 6.5 in |
| Dec | 26°F | 9°F | 1.11 in | 10.2 in |
| Year | 42°F average | 30.8 in | 48.9 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Mille Lacs County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. -- Princeton29,351 lbs released, Princeton
Total: 29,351 lbs in 2024, 29,351 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk7 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Mille Lacs County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Mille Lacs County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $11.26M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively low), cold wave (relatively low), hail (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Mille Lacs County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 348 storm events affecting Mille Lacs County, most often hail (96), thunderstorm wind (82), winter storm (74).
- How many tornadoes have hit Mille Lacs County?
- 16 tornadoes have been recorded in Mille Lacs County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Mille Lacs County have flood insurance?
- 57 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Mille Lacs County, covering about 0.4% of homes. The program has paid $119K on 24 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Mille Lacs County?
- At Milaca, average highs reach 80°F in Jul and lows fall to 1°F in Jan, with 30.8 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.