St. Louis County, MN Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by cold wave. 2,085 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $112M
- Relatively Moderate nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 2,085
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 290
- 0.3% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Moderate
Score 91.6 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 32.4 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 98.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $58.38B · Agriculture value exposed: $20.79M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $110M
Risk by hazard
- Cold waveVery High$50.63M/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year
- Winter weatherVery High$1.4M/yr expected annual loss, about 18 events a year
- LightningVery High$2.9M/yr expected annual loss, about 27 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$2.44M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- HailRelatively Moderate$1.18M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- WildfireRelatively Low$512K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,299 years
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$1.08M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- TornadoRelatively Low$2.23M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$168K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 years
- LandslideVery Low$2,416/yr expected annual loss, about 2.4 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$88.86K/yr expected annual loss, about 13 events a year
- Coastal floodingVery Low$8,678/yr expected annual loss, about once every 78 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$3,370/yr expected annual loss, about once every 13,333 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, 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
- 290 of 102,629 (0.3%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 183
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.83M
Flood claims paid per year
- June Midwest Flooding$261K · 2 claims
- Not a named storm$29.95K · 13 claims
- Flooding$13.67K · 6 claims
- Severe flooding$3,223 · 5 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 2,085 events, 39 deaths, $123M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind515 · 2 deaths
- Hail455
- Heavy Snow365 · 7 deaths
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill180 · 2 deaths
- Drought160
- Flash Flood89
- Winter Storm67 · 2 deaths
- Cold/Wind Chill52 · 9 deaths
- Ice Storm30
- Lightning26 · 1 death
Events per year
43 tornadoes on record (EF0 4, EF1 6, F0 13, F1 10, F2 4, F3 6).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Hail3.5" hail08/24/1998
Duluth, St. Louis County
$50M damage
What happened
Hail size ranged from .75 inch in diameter in the Woodland neighborhood on the northeast side of the city to 3.5 inches in Lincoln Park in West Duluth. The hail caused considerable damage to vehicles, roofs, gardens, and patio furniture. The dollar amount of property damage is an estimate based on insurance claims.
- Heat08/07/2001
Southern St. Louis / Carlton
5 deaths
What happened
Five people died in a two-day heat wave, during which high temperatures of 91 degrees and heat indexes of 101 were reached. The victims, all in the Duluth area, included 4 males and 1 female, ranging in age from 47 to 73. All were found in rooms without air conditioning and with poor ventilation. The St. Louis County pathologist determined that the deaths were directly attributable to the heat.
- Heavy Snow11/11/2021
Central St. Louis
2 deaths, 2 injured
What happened
Heavier than expected snow led to snow and ice covered roads along the Iron Range. This lead to a multi-vehicle accident near Gilbert that resulted in two fatalities (indirect) and at least two injuries (indirect) from one vehicle. The occupants of the other vehicles in the wreck were not injured or had non-life threatening injuries. Snowfall totals of 5 to 7 inches were reported along the Range with the highest report being 6.8 in Chisholm.
- Rip Current08/10/2017
Southern St. Louis / Carlton
2 deaths, 1 injured
What happened
A father and his daughter were swimming in high surf and swept away in Lake Superior off of Park Point Beach in Duluth. First responders retrieved both individuals and transported them to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead by drowning. During the rescue a fire department boat was flipped by waves. A firefighter ingested water and was treated at an area hospital.
- Winter Weather02/03/2018
Southern St. Louis / Carlton
2 deaths, 1 injured
What happened
A vehicle lost control on ice-covered Interstate 35 and rolled in the median near Cloquet about mid morning. A male who was not wearing a seat belt was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a few days later. Another crash occurred later in the afternoon around 4:15 PM when a vehicle lost control and entered the median and rolled multiple times. A passenger in the vehicle was killed while another sustained life-threatening injuries. The driver of this vehicle did not report any injuries.||A winter weather advisory was in effect during the crashes for a few inches of snowfall and slick roadways.
- High Surf06/24/2023
Southern Lake
2 deaths
What happened
Two 18 year old males died while cliff jumping at Black Beach in Silver Bay. The two jumped from the cliff just before 1:30PM CDT on the 25th and were seen struggling in the water before slipping beneath the waves. Waves at the time were in the 3 to 6 foot range with northeast winds gusting to 20 to 25 knots. Additionally the lake temperatures were in the lower 40s Fahrenheit. The Lake County Sheriff's office cited the winds, waves and water temperatures as contributing the drownings. Small Craft Advisories were in effect highlighting the hazardous conditions in the area.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Drought07/28/2026
Southern Lake
- Drought07/28/2026
Southern St. Louis / Carlton
- Hail1" hail07/27/2026
Palmers, St. Louis County
- Hail2" hail07/27/2026
Nett Lake, St. Louis County
- Hail1.25" hail07/27/2026
Zim, St. Louis County
- Hail1" hail07/27/2026
Zim, St. Louis County
- Excessive Heat07/26/2026
Southern St. Louis / Carlton
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind07/17/2026
New Duluth, St. Louis County
Drinking water
30 community water systems serve about 151,522 people. Violations since 2021.
3 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 3 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- DuluthServes 86,859 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- HibbingServes 16,028 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- VirginiaServes 8,361 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- HermantownServes 7,215 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- ChisholmServes 4,940 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- EvelethServes 3,770 · Surface water · Local government4 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- ElyServes 3,258 · Surface water · Local government3 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- ProctorServes 3,099 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
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 Embarrass, 9.5 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 78°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near -7°F in Jan. About 28.1 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17°F | -7°F | 0.82 in |
| Feb | 23°F | -5°F | 0.68 in |
| Mar | 36°F | 9°F | 1.22 in |
| Apr | 50°F | 23°F | 1.98 in |
| May | 64°F | 35°F | 2.99 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 45°F | 4.35 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 49°F | 3.62 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 47°F | 3.45 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 41°F | 3.86 in |
| Oct | 51°F | 30°F | 2.91 in |
| Nov | 34°F | 17°F | 1.11 in |
| Dec | 22°F | 3°F | 1.15 in |
| Year | 36°F average | 28.1 in | |
Pollution sites
2 Superfund sites and 17 toxic release facilities in St. Louis County
Superfund sites
- st. Louis River SiteFinalSt. Louis County
- Arrowhead Refinery co.DeletedHermantown
Toxic release facilities
- Me Global Inc123,951 lbs released, Duluth
- Cirrus Design Corp/Cirrus Aircraft83,000 lbs released, Duluth
- Hibbard Renewable Energy Center54,141 lbs released, Duluth
- Mn Twist Drill Aquisition LLC23,500 lbs released, Chisholm
- Cast7 LLC13,879 lbs released, Hibbing
- Compass Minerals America Inc1,618 lbs released, Duluth
- Detroit Reman-Dmr Electronics350 lbs released, Hibbing
- Hibbing Renewable Energy Center30.7 lbs released, Hibbing
- Dyno Nobel Inc27.3 lbs released, Biwabik
- Altec Industries Inc.27 lbs released, Duluth
Total: 300,559 lbs in 2024, 117,404 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk84 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is St. Louis County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates St. Louis County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $112M a year. The highest-rated hazards are cold wave (very high), winter weather (very high), lightning (very high).
- What storms are most common in St. Louis County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 2,085 storm events affecting St. Louis County, most often thunderstorm wind (515), hail (455), heavy snow (365).
- How many tornadoes have hit St. Louis County?
- 43 tornadoes have been recorded in St. Louis County since 1950, including 6 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in St. Louis County have flood insurance?
- 290 residential flood insurance policies are in force in St. Louis County, covering about 0.3% of homes. The program has paid $1.83M on 183 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in St. Louis County?
- At Embarrass, average highs reach 78°F in Jul and lows fall to -7°F in Jan, with 28.1 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.