Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Pope County, MN

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
27121
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 2029-03-13. Plan: Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515), approved 2024-03-14.

Since the plan was approved on 2024-03-14: no new hazard declaration and 37 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 ($4,859,605 a year), Cold Wave ($1,563,175) and Tornado ($587,997).

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 2029-03-13
Plan:
Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)
Approved:
2024-03-14
Days to expiry:
895

What changed since your last plan (approved 2024-03-14)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
37 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
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 expiry
Pope CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Cyrus cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Farwell cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Glenwood cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Long Beach cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Lowry cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Sedan cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Starbuck cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Villard cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895
Westport cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13Pope County HMP Update (FEMA plan 109515)2024-03-142029-03-13895

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$4,831,788$26,132$1,685$4,859,60517
2Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$488$522$1,562,165$1,563,17543
3TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$372,971$5,048$209,977$587,99723
4Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$179,633$103,033$137,099$419,766109Includes 13 High Wind records (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
5HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$15,743$266,039$37,919$319,700112
6Heat WaveVery LowRelatively Low$1,802$2$215,735$217,5388
7Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$38,685$2,850$108,698$150,233111
8DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$91,420n/a$91,4200Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
9LightningVery LowVery Low$4,843n/a$54,267$59,1101
10Ice StormVery LowRelatively Low$11,469n/a$14,664$26,1330Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
11WildfireVery LowVery Low$21,448$260$1,928$23,6350No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
12EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$3,683n/a$675$4,358Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
13LandslideVery LowVery Low$97n/a$1,929$2,0260No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
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 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 9701 (Very Low, 7.4); tract 9702 (Very Low, 7.0); tract 9704 (Very Low, 6.9)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9703 (Relatively Low, 93.2); tract 9701 (Relatively Low, 87.8); tract 9702 (Relatively Low, 86.5)
Tornadotract 9704 (Relatively Moderate, 71.0); tract 9701 (Relatively Moderate, 67.5); tract 9702 (Relatively Moderate, 65.5)
Wildfiretract 9701 (Relatively Low, 83.3); tract 9703 (Relatively Low, 81.3); tract 9704 (Relatively Low, 78.9)

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 9701 is Census Tract 9701). 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 chill43 records, 1996 to 2026 (43 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2 days); 37 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 damage0
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)135 records, 1956 to 20260.75 in to 2.75 in (median 1 in); 135 with a recorded value2.75 in hail, 2008-07-11; same size also recorded on 1990-06-01Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Glenwood city (28 records), Starbuck city (20 records), Cyrus city (12 records), Lowry city (11 records), Sedan city (7 records), Villard city (6 records), Farwell city (5 records), Long Beach city (1 record), Westport city (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)8 records, 1999 to 2016 (8 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2 days); 7 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)17 records, 1997 to 2023 (3 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2001-04-07, $200,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Glenwood city (7 records), Starbuck city (3 records), Cyrus city (1 record), Farwell city (1 record), Long Beach city (1 record). Zone-level records (3) 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)1 record, 1999Lightning, 1999-08-16, $50,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Glenwood city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)13 records, 1996 to 2022 (13 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 64 kt (74 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 13 with a recorded value64 kt (74 mph) measured, High Wind, 2000-04-05; NWS zone MNZ048Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)114 records, 1973 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 104 kt (120 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 99 with a recorded value104 kt (120 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2011-08-01Thunderstorm Wind, 2013-06-21, $1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Starbuck city (22 records), Glenwood city (21 records), Cyrus city (11 records), Sedan city (7 records), Villard city (7 records), Lowry city (4 records), Farwell city (3 records), Long Beach city (3 records), Westport city (1 record).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)30 records, 1953 to 2022F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF0); 30 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1964-06-18, 6.2 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 200 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1964 dollars), 13 direct injuriesTornado, 2017-09-19, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Sedan city (4 records), Starbuck city (4 records), Cyrus city (3 records), Villard city (3 records), Glenwood city (2 records), Lowry city (2 records), Farwell city (1 record), Long Beach 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)111 records, 1996 to 2026 (111 zone-level)No damage reported in 111 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: 16 declarations covering 13 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$114,074.17in 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$10,629.01within last 5 years
2022-07-082022-05-08DR-4658-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$383,022.56within last 5 years
2020-04-072020-01-20DR-4531-MNMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3453-MNEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4531
2013-07-252013-06-20DR-4131-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind$146,391.06
2009-04-092009-03-16DR-1830-MNMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$195,752.82
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$276,716.91
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
1996-06-011996-03-14DR-1116-MNMajor disasterFlooding and Severe StormsInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1993-06-111993-05-06DR-993-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 Wave433210001996 to 2026-06-30
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.
Hail1355411001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave8000001996 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 Flooding170111101996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind12711326401955 to 2026-06-30Includes 13 High Wind records.
Tornado30005401950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather11118529201996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationWhy listed
2017-09-19TornadoEF1, 6.8 mi within this county, 880 yd wide$500,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)0, 0GILCHRISTB1-c most damaging: Tornado
2013-06-21Thunderstorm Wind61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust$1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)0, 0GILCHRISTB1-c most damaging: Thunderstorm Wind
2011-08-01Thunderstorm Wind104 kt (120 mph) estimated gust$1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)0, 0FARWELL to GLENWOOD ARPTB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2009-07-14TornadoEF2, 3.8 mi within this county, 350 yd wide$250,000 property; $50,000 crops (2009 dollars)0, 0GILCHRISTlarge reported damage
2008-07-11Hail2.75 in$0 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0TERRACEB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2003-07-04Thunderstorm Wind68 kt (78 mph) measured gustdamage not reported0, 2STARBUCKdeaths or injuries recorded
2001-08-04Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ048 (POPE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2001-04-07Flash Flood$200,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2000-04-05High Wind64 kt (74 mph) measureddamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ048 (POPE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1999-08-16Lightning$50,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)0, 0GLENWOODB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1996-01-31Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MNZ048 (POPE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1964-06-18TornadoF3, 6.2 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 200 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1964 dollars)0, 13location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (472 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 Wave13.6event-days per yearabout 13.6 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 18 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (60%)2592005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought9.51event-days per yearabout 9.51 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)2802000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.000192annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0192%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.98events per yearabout 3.98 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)150.9 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave2.47event-days per yearabout 2.47 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)402005-11-12 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 Storm0.351event-days per yearabout 0.351 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)241946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.607event-days per yearabout 0.607 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 11 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (36.7%)171996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.133events per year (modeled)about 1 in 7 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning33.8days per year with a strikeabout 33.8 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.69events per yearabout 2.69 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1031986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.481events per yearabout 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000503annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0503%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 Weather19.8event-days per yearabout 19.8 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 27 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (90%)3762005-11-12 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 202565302.17
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202578302.6
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202513300.433
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202522300.733
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20251300.0333
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 Wave4 of 491.892.595.1Relatively High 4
Drought4 of 477.689.994.1Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 2, Very Low 1
Earthquake4 of 44.96.97.4Very Low 4
Hail4 of 468.286.594.0Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave4 of 458.360.468.3Relatively Moderate 4
Hurricane0 of 4Not Applicable 4
Ice Storm4 of 450.757.168.0Relatively Low 4
Inland Flooding4 of 469.583.690.4Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 1
Landslide4 of 484.687.193.2Relatively Low 4
Lightning4 of 454.156.565.1Relatively Moderate 4
Strong Wind4 of 488.591.793.4Relatively High 4
Tornado4 of 465.266.571.0Relatively Moderate 4
Wildfire4 of 477.880.183.3Relatively Low 4
Winter Weather4 of 496.997.097.9Very High 4

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 83% 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 plan
Pope CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Cyrus cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$89,713.5527 total; 3 since its plan
Farwell cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded10 total; 0 since its plan
Glenwood cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$244,094.9359 total; 3 since its plan
Long Beach cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$3,753.756 total; 0 since its plan
Lowry cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$2,323.1317 total; 1 since its plan
Sedan cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded18 total; 0 since its plan
Starbuck cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$56,360.9749 total; 5 since its plan
Villard cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$14,154.6916 total; 3 since its plan
Westport cityCityApproved, expires 2029-03-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded2 total; 0 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 2024-03-14county-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$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$488$522$1,562,165under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$57,180,190n/an/a$91,420n/a0.16% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$6,019,154,960n/a11,308$3,683n/a$675under 0.0001%
Hail$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$15,743$266,039$37,9190.00045%$0
Heat Wave$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$1,802$2$215,735under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$3,481,987,961n/a11,257$11,469n/a$14,6640.000329%
Inland Flooding$3,483,907,091$2,695,63888$4,831,788$26,132$1,685n/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$46,158,300n/a181$97n/a$1,9290.000211%
Lightning$3,495,070,622n/a11,306$4,843n/a$54,2670.000139%
Strong Wind$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$179,633$103,033$137,0990.00514%$0
Tornado$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$372,971$5,048$209,9770.0107%
Wildfire$582,675,970$68,370,6012,495$21,448$260$1,9280.00368%
Winter Weather$3,495,070,622$256,551,10011,306$38,685$2,850$108,6980.00111%$0

Totals since 2024-03-14 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 16 county-coded records, 16 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 21 zone-level records, 21 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
Population11,306
Building value (total, not at risk)$3,495,070,622
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$256,551,100
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$5,977,958
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)$2,346,739
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
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)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

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 total0000000

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

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Pope County2703680000000
Cyrus city2703690000000
Farwell city2709640000000
Glenwood city2703700000000
Long Beach city2703710000000
Lowry city2709650000000
Sedan city2709670000000
Starbuck city2703720000000
Villard city2709660000000
Westport city2703730000000

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: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

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 0 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). Pope County, MN: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 27121). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/mn/27121/ 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