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B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Wells · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Wells faces less hazard damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wells gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (58%), then tornadoes (21%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013.

River and rain flooding 58%Tornadoes 21%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

less than 74%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B+
in Minnesota · lower than 74% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
58% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 2013 · $20K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 19 declared for Faribault County
By hazard

What Wells 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

58%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms top 2% Ice storms Earthquakes Lightning Heat waves top 1% Wildfire 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 22% of Wells’ 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 Wells’ grade

River and rain flooding is 58% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wells, and Wells’ rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 21%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Wells sits
Wells
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding58%Tornadoes21%Strong wind12%Everything else9%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Wells: $712K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Wells’ 2,410 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 Wells flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2013

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wells, from FEMA’s records: 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2013: 1 claim2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2013
20132026
1
paid claims since 2013
$20K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$20K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Faribault County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wells

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms and Flooding13 households applied for aid$82K aid approved$55K to the City of Wells for repairs
  2. 2010Severe Storms and Flooding$2K to the City of Wells for repairs
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$52K to the City of Wells for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding107 households applied for aid$258K aid approved$188 to the City of Wells for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WellsFaribault County only

Faribault County has had 19 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 Wells after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Wells archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Wells 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Wells

Is Wells at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wells has lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (58%) and tornadoes (21%). 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 Wells flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Wells since 2013, $20K in all, or 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Wells 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 Faribault County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Wells?

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

By FEMA money that reached Wells, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 107 households applied for aid, $258K approved, and $188 to the City of Wells for repairs.

Is Wells at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (58%), and Wells’ rate for it is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wells.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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