Natural disaster risk in Cass County, Minnesota
Minnesota · population 30,036 · FIPS 27021
Overall: relatively low risk
Cass County has a composite risk score of 53.5 out of 100 — higher than 53% of US counties. It ranks 27 of 87 in Minnesota (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, winter weather, strong wind.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 19 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 96.35% of Cass County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 19 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Cass County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 53.5 |
| Expected annual loss About $13.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 48 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 73.1 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 79 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Cass County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 84 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 61 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 80 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 63 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 53 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 51 |
| Drought | Relatively low 46 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 42 |
| Wildfire | Very low 63 |
| Hail | Very low 33 |
| Ice storm | Very low 22 |
| Earthquake | Very low 5 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Cass County
Federal declarations that designated Cass County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Cass County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4797-MN (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 28 Jun 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4797-MN | Major disaster | Severe Storms and Flooding | 28 Jun 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Minnesota, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Cass County, Minnesota?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Cass County as relatively low, with a score of 53.5 out of 100 (higher than 53% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Cass County?
The hazards rated highest for Cass County are cold wave (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Cass County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Cass County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Cass County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Cass County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4797-MN (Severe Storms and Flooding), declared 28 Jun 2024.
Is Cass County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 96.35% of Cass County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 19 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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