2 flood insurance claims·$8,241 paid·14 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Red Lake County, Minnesota. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Red Lake County, Minnesota, supported by 13 flash flood events compared to 7 general flood events recorded over the last 30 years in the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Severe weather patterns drive these incidents, as demonstrated by a multi-hazard system on April 23, 2022, which brought severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and large hail alongside flash flooding. Spring conditions also create flood risks through snowmelt, such as an event lasting from late March through May 2009, which followed a winter storm that dropped up to two feet of snow across the region.
NFIP historical claims data shows limited historical payouts across designated zones, including a single claim in Zone X averaging $5,486 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, and one claim in an unknown zone averaging $2,755 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents handling properties located in unmapped areas or Zone X should pay attention to these risks, particularly during severe spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorm seasons.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Red Lake County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Minnesota flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 14 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Mar 12, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2011 |
| Flooding | Mar 1, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 16, 2009 |
| Flooding | Mar 30, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes | Jun 9, 2002 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2022 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2010 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jun 14, 2007 | — |
| Flood | Mar 30, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2006 | $109,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 23, 2022. Several rounds of severe thunderstorms traversed the region starting on the evening of April 22nd. Initially, large hail was the primary concern, with an increasingly tornadic environment heading into April 23rd. Both hail (up to 1.5 inches) and tornadoes were reported with this system.
Flash Flood · May 24, 2010. After the first round of elevated convection from the early morning hours of the 24th drifted off to the northeast, a surface warm front was left along the North Dakota and South Dakota border by mid morning. By mid afternoon of the 24th, the warm front had pushed north to a Jamestown (ND) to Bemidji (MN) line. Behind this front, afternoon temperatures had increased to around 90 degrees with dew points in the mid…
Flood · Mar 22, 2009. A stretch of warmer weather occurred from March 14th to 17th, which resulted in high temperatures in the 40s and low 50s. The snow depth in Fargo on the 14th was 15 inches with a melted water equivalent of 3.10 inches. By the 17th, the snow depth in Fargo had dropped to 6 inches. This was followed by a couple of cooler days, which temporarily slowed down any additional snowmelt. A second period of warmer weather b…
Flood · Apr 10, 2009. This flood event began for many counties in late March, then continued through April and into May. After the winter storm event that dumped up to two feet of snow over portions of the region from March 29th through April 1st, temperatures remained below normal through the tenth of the month. Luckily, there were no other big rain or snow events through this time. However, being early April, the snowpack left on the…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Red Lake County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.