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Businesses at S Main Street and Ferry Street, looking south, Le Sueur, MinnesotaPhoto: Myotus · CC BY 4.0
C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Le Sueur · FEMA

For strong wind, Le Sueur’s building-damage rate is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Le Sueur gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns, #185 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1993.

River and rain flooding 68%Tornadoes 14%Strong wind 12%

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 56%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#185 of 274 in Minnesota
Hazard risk
C+#185 of 274
in Minnesota · higher than 56% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
68% of expected building damage
Flood claims
9
paid since 1993 · $125K
Flooded more than once
1
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
6
of 16 declared for Le Sueur County
By hazard

What Le Sueur 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

68%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Ice storms Earthquakes Heat waves top 2% Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Cold 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 9% of Le Sueur’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 Le Sueur’s grade

River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Le Sueur, and Le Sueur’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 14%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Le Sueur sits
Le Sueur
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #185 of 274 in Minnesota; higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Le Sueur’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding68%Tornadoes14%Strong wind12%Everything else5%

The typical Minnesota town has lower expected damage than 57% of U.S. towns; within the state, Le Sueur has more expected damage per building than 67% of Minnesota towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.0M a year in losses across Le Sueur: $1.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Le Sueur’s 4,213 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Le Sueur flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 1993

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Le Sueur, from FEMA’s records: 4.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 1 claim2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 2 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 1 claim2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 2 claims2019: 1 claim2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199320102018
19932026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $20K
  • The Severe flooding1 claim · $17K
9
paid claims since 1993
$125K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$14K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Le Sueur County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1home raised above flood level
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Le Sueur

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms and Flooding10 households applied for aid$15K aid approved$373K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$54K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  3. 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$28K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  4. 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$6K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2010Severe Storms and Flooding$83K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  6. 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$110K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Le SueurLe Sueur County only

Le Sueur County has had 16 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 Le Sueur after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Le Sueur archive →
Next door

Le Sueur and its neighbors

Le Sueur has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Tyrone Township: not gradedOttawa Township: not gradedHenderson Township: not gradedTyrone TownshipOttawa TownshipHenderson TownshipLe Sueur
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Le SueurC+more damage than 56%river and rain flooding9
Tyrone Township—506 residents; we grade 1,000+
Ottawa Township—239 residents; we grade 1,000+
Henderson Township—929 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 Le Sueur 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.
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 Le Sueur

Is Le Sueur at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Le Sueur has higher expected damage per building than 56% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #185 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and tornadoes (14%). 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 Le Sueur flood?

Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Le Sueur since 1993, $125K in all, or 4.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).

Is Le Sueur 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 Le Sueur County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Le Sueur?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Le Sueur’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 Le Sueur?

By FEMA money that reached Le Sueur, Severe Storms and Flooding (2024): 10 households applied for aid, $15K approved, and $373K to the City of Le Sueur for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $20K.

Is Le Sueur at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Le Sueur’s rate for it is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Le Sueur.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Le Sueur’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.