Enter any address in Carlton County, Minnesota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Carlton County. Recent events include minor road washouts from heavy rainfall on June 4, 2024, and storms producing heavy rainfall on June 4, 2019.
Lakeshore flooding has also occurred, with high winds and waves causing damage along lake shore areas on October 21, 2019, and blizzard conditions contributing to flooding on December 1, 2019.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone X, Zone X_UNSHADED, and Zone A, as well as those in unknown flood zones, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
19 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Carlton County, Minnesota has recorded 31 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 18 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 10 federal disaster declarations, 5 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1972–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Apr 11, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 15, 2018 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2012 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Flood | Mar 23, 2001 |
| Drought | Drought | Jun 17, 1976 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Aug 25, 1972 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2024 | 20.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Nov 30, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 21, 2019 | 300.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Dec 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 15, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 9, 2018 | 18.40M |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 27, 2017 | 3.50M |
Flash Flood — Jun 4, 2024
A few storms developed during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 4th across east-central Minnesota in the wake of a warm front. A few of the stronger storms produced minor wind damage in the I-35 corridor of east-central Minnesota along with heavy rainfall resulting in minor road washouts.
Lakeshore Flood — Nov 30, 2019
A slow moving and powerful winter storm spread snow across the Northland starting the evening of the 29th and brought a few waves of snow into the afternoon of the 30th. The low then deepened and passed to the south of the region, bringing heavy snowfall and high winds the evening of the 30th into the morning of the 1st. A sustained 10 hour period of blizzard conditions was observed in the Twin...
Lakeshore Flood — Oct 21, 2019
An intense area of low pressure approached the region through the day on Monday, October 21st, producing increasingly strong east to northeast winds. The winds increased through the day, and were especially strong coming off Lake Superior into the Twin Ports area. Peak wind speeds topped 70 MPH at some of the bridges and waves caused damage along many of the lake shore areas. In addition, the s...
Flash Flood — Jun 4, 2019
Thunderstorms developed over northeastern Minnesota on the afternoon of the 4th. A warm front was draped along the International Border with a secondary warm front pushing northward from the south. Daytime heating, advection of a more favorable airmass for severe weather and a shortwave trough moved into the western part of the area and lead to increased shear and steep lapse rates that led to ...
Lakeshore Flood — Dec 1, 2019
A slow moving and powerful winter storm spread snow across the Northland starting the evening of the 29th and brought a few waves of snow into the afternoon of the 30th. The low then deepened and passed to the south of the region, bringing heavy snowfall and high winds the evening of the 30th into the morning of the 1st. A sustained 10 hour period of blizzard conditions was observed in the Twin...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Carlton County, Minnesota:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Carlton County, Minnesota that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.