Martin T. Gunderson House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Kenyon’s building-damage rate from strong wind is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kenyon gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (65%), then tornadoes (15%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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
What Kenyon 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
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Hail
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.
What’s behind Kenyon’s grade
River and rain flooding is 65% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kenyon, and Kenyon’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Kenyon’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $971K a year in losses across Kenyon: $599K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Kenyon flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kenyon. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Kenyon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Goodhue County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kenyon
Disasters that paid out in Kenyon itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Kenyon), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storms and Flooding2 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
- 2010Severe Storms and Flooding$8K to the City of Kenyon for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes$2K to the City of Kenyon for repairs
Goodhue County has had 15 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.
Old photos of Kenyon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Kenyon archive →Kenyon and its neighbors
Kenyon has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenyon | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Kenyon Township | — | 454 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.
Get ready for what Kenyon faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Kenyon
Is Kenyon at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kenyon has higher expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (65%) and tornadoes (15%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Kenyon 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 Goodhue County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Kenyon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kenyon’s 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 Kenyon?
By FEMA money that reached Kenyon, Severe Storms and Flooding (2024): 2 households applied for aid, $11K approved.
Is Kenyon at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (65%), and Kenyon’s rate for it is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kenyon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kenyon’s 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.