Photo: Own work · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Ottertail
Ottertail isn’t graded for hazard risk: Ottertail has 490 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2001.
What Ottertail 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
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 Ottertail flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2001
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ottertail, from FEMA’s records.
Ottertail isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Otter Tail County.The storms Ottertail remembers
None of the 14 disasters declared for Otter Tail County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ottertail itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20011 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, declared for Otter Tail County
- 20021 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Otter Tail County has had 14 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 Ottertail after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ottertail archive →Ottertail 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Township | — | 520 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Leaf Lake Township | — | 620 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 Ottertail 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.
- 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 Ottertail
Does Ottertail flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Ottertail since 2001, $21K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Ottertail 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 Otter Tail County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Ottertail?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ottertail’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ottertail.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ottertail’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.