Olmsted County flood history
Minnesota · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 719 flood insurance claims in Olmsted County, Minnesota since 1978. The NFIP paid $5.3 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1978, with 462, mostly from Flooding.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 16 claims, and the average paid claim was $54,739.
18% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.3% of homes in Olmsted County, Minnesota had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (154 of 51,884 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 16% (37 of 226).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 6 flood-related disaster declarations covering Olmsted County, Minnesota. The most recent was DR-4442-MN (Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding), declared June 12, 2019.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | $0 |
| 2024 | 1 | $52,437 |
| 2019 | 13 | $655,283 |
| 2018 | 1 | $3,884 |
| 2016 | 3 | $7,182 |
| 2014 | 3 | $0 |
| 2013 | 3 | $3,835 |
| 2011 | 2 | $5,556 |
| 2010 | 17 | $343,118 |
| 2007 | 8 | $58,446 |
| 2004 | 6 | $76,865 |
| 2001 | 1 | $0 |
| 1997 | 1 | $25,000 |
| 1995 | 1 | $0 |
| 1993 | 3 | $400 |
| 1992 | 1 | $0 |
| 1991 | 2 | $0 |
| 1990 | 1 | $0 |
| 1986 | 160 | $94,929 |
| 1983 | 4 | $132 |
| 1982 | 2 | $672 |
| 1981 | 9 | $3,638 |
| 1980 | 7 | $778 |
| 1979 | 7 | $14,052 |
| 1978 | 462 | $4.0 million |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flooding | 1978 | 447 | $3.9 million |
| June Midwest Flooding | 2024 | 1 | $52,437 |
| Flooding | 1997 | 1 | $25,000 |
| Not a named storm | 1979 | 2 | $0 |
| Severe flooding | 2001 | 1 | $0 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 154 residential NFIP policies in Olmsted County, against 51,884 residential buildings (0.3%). Of the 226 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 37 have an NFIP policy (16%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4442-MN | Jun 12, 2019 | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-1941-MN | Oct 13, 2010 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1921-MN | Jul 2, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-1717-MN | Aug 23, 2007 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1569-MN | Oct 7, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1370-MN | May 16, 2001 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | Yes |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of Minnesota.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.