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C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Lake St. Croix Beach · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Lake St. Croix Beach faces more hazard damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lake St. Croix Beach gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (79%). Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1986.

River and rain flooding 79%Tornadoes 10%Strong wind 6%

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

more than 77%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Minnesota · higher than 77% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
79% of expected building damage
Flood claims
36
paid since 1986 · $190K
Flooded more than once
3
properties
Flood insurance
05% off
Community discount (class 9)

What stands out about Lake St. Croix Beach’s natural hazards

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

05% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns Lake St. Croix Beach residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9).Moved out of harm’s way10 homes raised above flood level; 6 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 200116 flood claims were paid for 2001 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Lake St. Croix Beach 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

79%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Ice storms Wildfire Lightning Earthquakes Winter storms 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 8% of Lake St. Croix Beach’s 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 Lake St. Croix Beach’s grade

River and rain flooding is 79% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lake St. Croix Beach, and Lake St. Croix Beach’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 10%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Lake St. Croix Beach sits
Lake St. Croix Beach
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Lake St. Croix Beach’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding79%Tornadoes10%Strong wind6%Everything else5%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $504K a year in losses across Lake St. Croix Beach: $373K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Lake St. Croix Beach’s 1,043 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Lakeland city (1,710 residents) and St. Marys Point city (353 residents) and Lakeland Shores city (339 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Lake St. Croix Beach flood? Sometimes: 36 flood claims since 1986

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lake St. Croix Beach, from FEMA’s records: 73.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1986: 1 claim1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 3 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 9 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 16 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 1 claim2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 3 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 1 claim2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199319972001
19862026
Biggest named events
  • The Severe flooding15 claims · $70K
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $14K
36
paid claims since 1986
$190K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$5K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount05% off flood insurance

Lake St. Croix Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Washington County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
10homes raised above flood level
6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lake St. Croix Beach

Disasters that paid out in Lake St. Croix Beach itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$88K to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$14K to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach for repairs
  3. 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$170K to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach for repairs16 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Lake St. Croix BeachWashington County only

Washington County has had 13 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Washington County, 2000–2000.

Were you here?

Old photos of Lake St. Croix Beach after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Lake St. Croix Beach archive →
Next door

Lake St. Croix Beach and its neighbors

Lake St. Croix Beach is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Afton: hazard risk B−St. Marys Point: not gradedLakeland: hazard risk C−AftonSt. Marys PointLakelandLake St. Croix Beach
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
AftonB−more damage than 52%river and rain flooding27
LakelandC−more damage than 77%river and rain flooding72
Lake St. Croix BeachC−more damage than 77%river and rain flooding36
St. Marys Point—483 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 Lake St. Croix Beach 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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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.
  • Lake St. Croix Beach residents get 05% off flood insurance.
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 Lake St. Croix Beach

Is Lake St. Croix Beach at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lake St. Croix Beach has higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (79%) and tornadoes (10%). 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.

Does Lake St. Croix Beach flood?

Flood insurance has paid 36 claims in Lake St. Croix Beach since 1986, $190K in all, or 73.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Severe flooding (15).

Is Lake St. Croix Beach 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 Washington County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lake St. Croix Beach?

Lake St. Croix Beach is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9), which takes 05% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Lake St. Croix Beach?

By FEMA money that reached Lake St. Croix Beach, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2001): $170K to the City of Lake St. Croix Beach for repairs. By flood claims, Severe flooding: 15 paid, $70K.

Is Lake St. Croix Beach at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (79%), and Lake St. Croix Beach’s rate for it is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake St. Croix Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake St. Croix Beach’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.