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B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in East Grand Forks · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, East Grand Forks faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Grand Forks gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns, #144 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (77%), then tornadoes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 1,011 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 77%Tornadoes 11%Strong wind 4%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 55%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#144 of 274 in Minnesota
Hazard risk
B−#144 of 274
in Minnesota · lower than 55% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
77% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1,011
paid since 1978 · $33.1M
Flooded more than once
4
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
9
of 26 declared for Polk County

What stands out about East Grand Forks’ natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

1,011 paid flood claims since 1978$33.1M in all; 4 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 99% of U.S. towns.Moved out of harm’s way538 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 2 flood-prone homes bought out and moved with FEMA grants.Remembers 1997861 flood claims were paid for 1997 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What East Grand Forks faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

77%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Winter storms top 0% Ice storms Earthquakes Wildfire Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 42% of East Grand Forks’ expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind East Grand Forks’ grade

River and rain flooding is 77% of the building damage FEMA expects in East Grand Forks, and East Grand Forks’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts. Winter storms add 3%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where East Grand Forks sits
East Grand Forks
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #144 of 274 in Minnesota; lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns (21,298).

East Grand Forks’ residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding77%Tornadoes11%Strong wind4%Everything else8%

The typical Minnesota town has lower expected damage than 57% of U.S. towns; within the state, East Grand Forks has more expected damage per building than 52% of Minnesota towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.5M a year in losses across East Grand Forks: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. East Grand Forks covers 3 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does East Grand Forks flood? Yes: 1,011 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in East Grand Forks, from FEMA’s records: 275.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 18 claims1979: 99 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 9 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 3 claims1997: 861 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 1 claim2000: 0 claims2001: 2 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 1 claim2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 13 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 2 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197819791997
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Winter storm1 claim · $227
  • The Severe flooding1 claim · $950
1,011
paid claims since 1978
$33.1M
paid to owners
4
homes flooded more than once
$33K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

East Grand Forks isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Polk County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
538flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to East Grand Forks

Disasters that paid out in East Grand Forks itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of East Grand Forks), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2022Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$124K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$42K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs13 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$30K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs
  4. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$156K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs
  5. 2010Flooding$99K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  6. 2009Severe Storms and Flooding14 households applied for aid$6K aid approved$363K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Show all 9
  1. 2006Flooding$63K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs
  2. 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$595K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  3. 1999Severe Ice Storm and Flooding$33K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in East Grand ForksPolk County only

Polk County has had 26 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of East Grand Forks after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the East Grand Forks archive →
Next door

East Grand Forks and its neighbors

East Grand Forks is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Grand Forks: hazard risk BHuntsville Township: not gradedGrand Forks Township: not gradedSullivan Township: not gradedRhinehart Township: not gradedGrand ForksHuntsville TownshipGrand Forks TownshipSullivan TownshipRhinehart TownshipEast Grand Forks
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Grand ForksBless damage than 64%river and rain flooding2,466
East Grand ForksB−less damage than 55%river and rain flooding1,011
Huntsville Township—550 residents; we grade 1,000+
Grand Forks Township—178 residents; we grade 1,000+
Sullivan Township—154 residents; we grade 1,000+
Rhinehart Township—139 residents; we grade 1,000+

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what East Grand Forks faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in East Grand Forks

Is East Grand Forks at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, East Grand Forks has lower expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #144 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (77%) and tornadoes (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does East Grand Forks flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1,011 claims in East Grand Forks since 1978, $33.1M in all, or 275.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Winter storm (1).

Is East Grand Forks in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Polk County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in East Grand Forks?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for East Grand Forks’ flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in East Grand Forks?

By FEMA money that reached East Grand Forks, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2001): $595K to the City of East Grand Forks for repairs. By flood claims, Winter storm: 1 paid, $227.

Is East Grand Forks at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (77%), and East Grand Forks’ rate for it is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in East Grand Forks.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where East Grand Forks’ residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.