Storms, floods and disasters in Oslo
Oslo isn’t graded for hazard risk: Oslo has 260 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1978.
What Oslo 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
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.
Does Oslo flood? Sometimes: 35 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Oslo, from FEMA’s records.
Oslo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Marshall County.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Oslo
Disasters that paid out in Oslo itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Oslo), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Storms and Flooding$18K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 2022Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$65K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$41K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$119K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 2010Flooding$123K to the City of Oslo for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding71 households applied for aid$42K aid approved$146K to the City of Oslo for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Show all 9
- 2006Flooding$47K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$15K to the City of Oslo for repairs
- 1999Severe Ice Storm and Flooding$7K to the City of Oslo for repairs
Marshall County has had 25 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 Oslo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Oslo archive →Oslo and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park Township | — | 87 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Walshville Township | — | 113 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Turtle River Township | — | 155 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 Oslo 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.
- 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 Oslo
Does Oslo flood?
Flood insurance has paid 35 claims in Oslo since 1978, $291K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Oslo 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 Marshall County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Oslo?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Oslo’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 Oslo?
By FEMA money that reached Oslo, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): 71 households applied for aid, $42K approved, and $146K to the City of Oslo for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oslo.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Oslo’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.