Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Chippewa County, MN

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
27023
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2029-01-22. Plan: Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436), approved 2024-01-23.

Since the plan was approved on 2024-01-23: no new hazard declaration and 33 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($5,224,651 a year), Cold Wave ($1,773,522) and Tornado ($868,007).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2029-01-22
Plan:
Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)
Approved:
2024-01-23
Days to expiry:
845

What changed since your last plan (approved 2024-01-23)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
33 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 1 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 13
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Chippewa CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845
Clara City cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845this jurisdiction approved 2024-02-26
Granite Falls cityCityApproved, expires 2028-05-03Yellow Medicine County (FEMA plan 109000)2023-05-042028-05-03581this jurisdiction approved 2023-06-09
Maynard cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845this jurisdiction approved 2024-02-26
Milan cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845this jurisdiction approved 2024-02-26
Montevideo cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845this jurisdiction approved 2024-02-26
Watson cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22Chippewa County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109436)2024-01-232029-01-22845this jurisdiction approved 2024-02-26

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$5,191,431$32,171$1,049$5,224,65115
2Cold WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$11$321$1,773,190$1,773,52241Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
3TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$548,705$6,165$313,137$868,00721
4Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$3,369$4$832,346$835,71911
5Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$269,363$105,868$157,661$532,89284Includes 17 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
6HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$34,000$342,598$32,147$408,74587
7DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$287,350n/a$287,3500Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
8Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$10,230$3,161$123,456$136,846134
9Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$33,396n/a$36,647$70,0430Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
10LightningVery LowVery Low$4,812n/a$38,235$43,0460No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
11WildfireVery LowVery Low$15,241$226$965$16,4310No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
12EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$6,770n/a$1,700$8,470Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
13LandslideVery LowVery Low$54n/a$618$6720Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3242-MN names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local lightning, wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9505 (Very Low, 11.9); tract 9504 (Very Low, 10.0); tract 9506.02 (Very Low, 9.9)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9503 (Relatively Low, 88.8); tract 9505 (Relatively Low, 86.9); tract 9506.02 (Very Low, 77.4)
Tornadotract 9506.02 (Relatively High, 82.3); tract 9505 (Relatively High, 75.4); tract 9504 (Relatively Moderate, 73.8)
Wildfiretract 9505 (Relatively Low, 82.6); tract 9503 (Relatively Low, 79.9); tract 9506.02 (Relatively Low, 79.5)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9505 is Census Tract 9505). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill40 records, 1996 to 2026 (40 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2 days); 34 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 1996-01-31 to 1996-02-04, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2004 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)106 records, 1957 to 20250.75 in to 3 in (median 1 in); 106 with a recorded value3 in hail, 1957-07-01Hail, 2001-08-17, $15,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Montevideo city (31 records), Watson city (14 records), Milan city (13 records), Clara City city (11 records), Granite Falls city (2 records), Maynard city (2 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)11 records, 1999 to 2023 (11 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2.5 days); 10 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 2001-08-04 to 2001-08-08, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)0
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)15 records, 1997 to 2023 (7 zone-level)Flood, 2010-03-17, $345,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Milan city (3 records), Granite Falls city (2 records), Watson city (2 records), Maynard city (1 record), Montevideo city (1 record). Zone-level records (7) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)0Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)18 records, 1996 to 2026 (17 zone-level)38 kt (44 mph) to 64 kt (74 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 17 with a recorded value64 kt (74 mph) measured, High Wind, 2000-04-05; NWS zone MNZ056Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Watson city (1 record). Zone-level records (17) apply countywide.
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)90 records, 1955 to 202550 kt (58 mph) to 70 kt (81 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 73 with a recorded value70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2024-07-15; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2000-05-07Thunderstorm Wind, 2022-05-12, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2022 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Montevideo city (19 records), Clara City city (14 records), Milan city (10 records), Watson city (6 records), Granite Falls city (4 records), Maynard city (1 record).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)25 records, 1968 to 2025F/EF0 to F/EF1 (median F/EF0); 25 with a recorded valueF1 tornado, 1993-05-07, 5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 100 yd wide, $5,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1993 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Montevideo city (5 records), Clara City city (2 records), Maynard city (1 record), Milan city (1 record), Watson city (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)134 records, 1996 to 2026 (134 zone-level)No damage reported in 134 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 21 declarations covering 17 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2023-07-192023-04-11DR-4722-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$147,375.90in the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 years
2022-08-092022-05-29DR-4666-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$758,316.95within last 5 years
2022-07-082022-05-08DR-4658-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$2,477,790.06within last 5 years
2020-04-072020-01-20DR-4531-MNMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$30,740
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3453-MNEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4531
2019-06-122019-03-12DR-4442-MNMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind, Winter Weather$1,948,043.55
2014-07-212014-06-11DR-4182-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Strong Wind$251,923.55
2011-05-102011-03-16DR-1982-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$498,948.86
2010-04-192010-03-01DR-1900-MNMajor disasterFloodingInland Flooding$162,384.59
2010-03-192010-03-01EM-3310-MNEmergencyFloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1900
2009-04-092009-03-16DR-1830-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$84,415.59
2005-09-132005-08-29EM-3242-MNEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2001-05-162001-03-23DR-1370-MNMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Ice Storm, Tornado, Winter Weather$678,471.04
2000-06-272000-05-17DR-1333-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
1997-04-081997-03-21DR-1175-MNMajor disasterSevere Flooding, High Winds,Severe StormsInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1997-01-161997-01-03DR-1158-MNMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1993-06-111993-05-06DR-993-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1992-06-261992-06-16DR-946-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1976-06-171976-06-17EM-3013-MNEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1969-04-181969-04-18DR-255-MNMajor disasterFloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1965-04-111965-04-11DR-188-MNMajor disasterFloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1957-06-221957-06-22DR-80-MNMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

7 Fire Management declarations (1976-09-08 to 1976-10-01) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Public Assistance not placed in any Minnesota county: 14 rows, $9,133,931.59; listed on the Minnesota state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave413210001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail106419001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave11012001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Inland Flooding150111501996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind1086016501955 to 2026-06-30Includes 17 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado25204501950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather13418729301996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2024-07-15Thunderstorm Wind70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars)0, 0GLUEK to CLARA CITYnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2022-05-12Thunderstorm Wind61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust$500,000 property; $0 crops (2022 dollars)0, 0GRANITE FALLS to GLUEKwithin last 5 yearsB1-c most damaging: Thunderstorm Wind
2010-03-17Flood$345,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars)0, 0WATSON to HAGENB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2009-01-12Blizzard$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2009 dollars)1, 0NWS zone MNZ056 (CHIPPEWA), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2001-08-17Hail1.75 in$15,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)0, 0MONTEVIDEOB1-c most damaging: Hail
2001-08-04Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ056 (CHIPPEWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2001-04-07Flash Flood$300,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDElarge reported damage
2000-04-05High Wind64 kt (74 mph) measureddamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ056 (CHIPPEWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1998-06-24Thunderstorm Wind61 kt (70 mph), measurement type not recorded$250,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)0, 0CLARA CITYlarge reported damage
1996-01-31Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ056 (CHIPPEWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1993-05-07TornadoF1, 5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 100 yd wide$5,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1993 dollars)0, 0MontevideoB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1957-07-01Hail3 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Hail

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (440 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave12.7event-days per yearabout 12.7 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 18 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (60%)2412005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought7.88event-days per yearabout 7.88 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)2102000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.000202annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0202%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.93events per yearabout 3.93 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)149.3 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave3.95event-days per yearabout 3.95 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)592005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Storm0.501event-days per yearabout 0.501 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)341946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.5event-days per yearabout 0.5 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 9 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (30%)141996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.0638events per year (modeled)about 1 in 16 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning34.7days per year with a strikeabout 34.7 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.73events per yearabout 2.73 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1041986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.392events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000493annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0493%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather20.4event-days per yearabout 20.4 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 29 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (96.7%)3872005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202548301.6
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20259300.3
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202564302.13
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20252300.0667
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202521300.7
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave5 of 591.192.596.0Very High 1, Relatively High 4
Drought5 of 576.494.197.3Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Earthquake5 of 56.79.911.9Very Low 5
Hail5 of 559.289.797.5Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave5 of 587.989.793.6Relatively High 5
Hurricane0 of 5Not Applicable 5
Ice Storm5 of 573.378.585.5Relatively Moderate 5
Inland Flooding5 of 565.384.491.8Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 2
Landslide5 of 566.377.488.8Relatively Low 2, Very Low 3
Lightning5 of 539.543.154.2Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 4
Strong Wind5 of 584.193.596.8Very High 1, Relatively High 4
Tornado5 of 565.273.882.3Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 3
Wildfire5 of 556.179.582.6Relatively Low 3, Very Low 2
Winter Weather5 of 594.795.897.6Very High 2, Relatively High 3

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Hail: Agriculture is 84% of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Chippewa CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 1; any 6$70,426.770 total; 0 since its plan
Clara City cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$109,026.2527 total; 3 since its plan
Granite Falls cityCityApproved, expires 2028-05-03FMA RL 1, SRL 0; any 10no Public Assistance recorded8 total; 0 since its planWhole community, including the part in Yellow Medicine County; in-county portion (county table): FMA RL 0, FMA SRL 0, NFIP RL 1, NFIP SRL 0, any category 1.
Maynard cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$26,489.775 total; 0 since its plan
Milan cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded27 total; 2 since its plan
Montevideo cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 6no Public Assistance recorded56 total; 3 since its plan
Watson cityCityApproved, expires 2029-01-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded24 total; 2 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2024-01-23county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$4,242,158,944$330,500,28512,542$11$321$1,773,190under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$223,779,730n/an/a$287,350n/a0.128% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$7,684,037,903n/a12,598$6,770n/a$1,700under 0.0001%
Hail$4,242,162,447$330,500,28512,542$34,000$342,598$32,1470.000801%$0
Heat Wave$4,242,158,944$330,500,28512,542$3,369$4$832,346under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$4,242,158,944n/a12,542$33,396n/a$36,6470.000787%
Inland Flooding$4,239,565,257$3,839,84767$5,191,431$32,171$1,049n/a (see note)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$53,209,616n/a186$54n/a$6180.000101%
Lightning$4,242,162,447n/a12,542$4,812n/a$38,2350.000113%
Strong Wind$4,242,162,447$330,500,28512,542$269,363$105,868$157,6610.00635%$0$0
Tornado$4,242,162,447$330,500,28512,542$548,705$6,165$313,1370.0129%$0
Wildfire$529,588,263$46,552,1841,759$15,241$226$9650.00288%
Winter Weather$4,242,158,944$330,500,28512,542$10,230$3,161$123,4560.000241%$0

Totals since 2024-01-23 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 11 county-coded records, 11 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 22 zone-level records, 22 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population12,542
Building value (total, not at risk)$4,242,162,447
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$330,500,285
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$6,895,242
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$3,311,152
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingVery High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)1
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition13Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition1

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county total and NFIP communities

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total011311302
of which: Chippewa County (unincorporated area)0161601
of which: Granite Falls city0010100
of which: Montevideo city0060601

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredpropertiesNote
Chippewa County2700660161601
Clara City city2700670000000
Granite Falls city27006810901010Whole community, including the part in Yellow Medicine County; in-county portion (county table): FMA RL 0, FMA SRL 0, NFIP RL 1, NFIP SRL 0, any category 1.
Maynard city2705870000000
Milan city2705890000000
Montevideo city2752430060601
Watson city2706100000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0080801
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0151501
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 13 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Chippewa County, MN: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 27023). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/mn/27023/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org