Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, St. Cloud faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Cloud gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #163 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then tornadoes (12%). Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1979.
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 St. Cloud 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
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 St. Cloud’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Cloud, and St. Cloud’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 65% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #163 of 274 in Minnesota; higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Cloud’s residents live in 18 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Minnesota town has lower expected damage than 57% of U.S. towns; within the state, St. Cloud has more expected damage per building than 59% of Minnesota towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $25.8M a year in losses across St. Cloud: $18.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Cloud flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Cloud, from FEMA’s records: 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Severe flooding2 claims · $3K
St. Cloud isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Stearns County.The storms St. Cloud remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Stearns County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Cloud itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19974 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms, declared for Stearns County
- 20012 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, declared for Stearns County
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Stearns County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of St. Cloud after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Cloud archive →St. Cloud and its neighbors
St. Cloud is 4th of the 10 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waite Park | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| St. Augusta | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Minden Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | — |
| St. Cloud | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Sauk Rapids | B−more damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Haven Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Lynden Township | Cmore damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Clear Lake Township | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Sartell | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Le Sauk Township | C−more damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Sauk Rapids Township | — | 453 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 St. Cloud 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.
- 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 St. Cloud
Is St. Cloud at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Cloud has higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #163 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and tornadoes (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Cloud flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in St. Cloud since 1979, $25K in all, or 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Severe flooding (2).
Is St. Cloud 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 Stearns County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. Cloud?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Cloud’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 St. Cloud?
By flood claims, Severe flooding: 2 paid, $3K.
Is St. Cloud at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and St. Cloud’s rate for it is higher than 65% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Cloud.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Cloud’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.