Storm risk in Blue Earth County, Minnesota

FEMA's overall hazard score for Blue Earth County is 72.20 (Relatively Low), 875th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 85.27 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 95.20 (Relatively High) and tornado 77.07 (Relatively Moderate). Expected hail loss is $51 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 68 hail reports in Blue Earth County from 2014 to June 2026.

FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.

Blue Earth County: expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings for hail, strong wind and tornado, on a log scale, against all U.S. counties and the counties of MN$0.1$1$10$100$1,000Hail: $51 per $1 million, 949th of 3,126 rated counties$51Hail949th of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $135 per $1 million, 163rd of 3,121 rated counties$135Strong wind163rd of 3,121 countiesTornado: $209 per $1 million, 1,508th of 3,144 rated counties$209Tornado1,508th of 3,144 counties
  • Blue Earth County, coloured by its FEMA rating
  • all U.S. counties
  • each county in the state
  • U.S. median
  • state median

Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.

How FEMA rates Blue Earth County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in MN
OverallRelatively Low 72.20875 of 3,14415 of 87
HailRelatively Moderate 85.27464 of 3,12614 of 87
Strong windRelatively High 95.20152 of 3,1268 of 87
TornadoRelatively Moderate 77.07722 of 3,12615 of 87

Expected yearly loss, in dollars

HazardThis county, total a yearPer $1M of buildingsState median countyU.S. median countyRank per $1M, U.S.Rank per $1M, state
Hail$899,604$51 $28$22 949 of 3,12632 of 87
Strong wind$2,363,605$135 $53$20 163 of 3,1219 of 87
Tornado$3,651,154$209 $187$199 1,508 of 3,14438 of 87

Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.

What stands out in Blue Earth County

  • FEMA expects hail in Blue Earth County to cost $51 per $1 million of buildings a year: 2.30 times the U.S. median and 1.85 times the MN county median, ranked 949th of 3,126 counties nationally and 32nd of 87 in Minnesota.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in Blue Earth County to cost $135 per $1 million of buildings a year: 6.63 times the U.S. median and 2.57 times the MN county median, ranked 163rd of 3,121 counties nationally and 9th of 87 in Minnesota.
  • FEMA expects tornado in Blue Earth County to cost $209 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.05 times the U.S. median and 1.12 times the MN county median, ranked 1,508th of 3,144 counties nationally and 38th of 87 in Minnesota.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $252,800 home, the average yearly loss in Blue Earth County is about $13 for hail and $34 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $5.65 and $5.15.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Blue Earth County meets about 25.0 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1977, the median home in Blue Earth County is 49 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 71.8% of its 29,544 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 47 of the 68 hail reports in Blue Earth County (69 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.

What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year

Enter a home value. The calculator applies Blue Earth County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.

$13hail, a year; $5.65 at the U.S. median county rate
$34strong wind, a year; $5.15 at the U.S. median county rate
$943hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × Blue Earth County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $899,604 ÷ $17,489,313,065 = 0.0000514. Wind: $2,363,605 ÷ $17,489,313,065 = 0.0001351. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.

Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.

Blue Earth County in plain numbers

  • Blue Earth County scores 72.20 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Low): 875th of 3,144 rated counties and 15th of 87 in Minnesota.
  • Hail scores 85.27 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $899,604 of hail damage to buildings in Blue Earth County a year, which is $51 per $1 million of buildings, 2.30 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 95.20 (Relatively High) with $2,363,605 of expected yearly building loss in Blue Earth County: $135 per $1 million of buildings, 6.63 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 77.07 (Relatively Moderate) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $3,651,154, counting everything exposed, or $209 per $1 million of buildings in Blue Earth County.
  • FEMA's own event record for Blue Earth County averages 4.77 hail events and 3.79 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 68 hail reports in Blue Earth County between 2014 and June 2026, on 16 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 3.5 inches.
  • In Blue Earth County, FEMA counts buildings worth 17.49 billion dollars and 69,073 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Relatively Low in Blue Earth County.
  • Community resilience there is Very High, for 69,073 residents.
  • 1 city in Blue Earth County is covered on this site: Mankato. 11 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
  • Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in Mankato is $6,720 to $14,880.
  • Blue Earth County ranks 61 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 5 for wind and 103 for tornado.
  • In Blue Earth County, April is the busiest month with 20 of the 68 reports (29 percent), against 0 reports in October.
  • Blue Earth County's worst year was 2016, with 3 hail days at 1 inch or more and 5 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.25 such days a year, one about every 9.6 months.
  • The median home in Blue Earth County was built in 1977; 53.2% of its 29,544 housing units date from before 1980, 71.8% from before 2000 and 13.2% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in Blue Earth County at $252,800, and 61.8% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 1,913 single-family building permits were issued in Blue Earth County from 2014 to 2025, about 64.8 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2017.
  • NOAA lists 8 tornado tracks in Blue Earth County since 2014; the strongest was an EF1 on April 13, 2026 near Amboy, 5.68 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Blue Earth County is 100 mph on June 16, 2014 at Minnesota Lake.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Olmsted County, 84 miles from the centre of Blue Earth County; its hail score is 83.40.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 7 roofing contractor establishments in Blue Earth County in 2023, one for every 4,221 homes.
  • FEMA has named Blue Earth County in 5 disaster declarations since 2014, the latest 809 days before its data end, and 0 of them were storm-type.

The hail record of Blue Earth County, year by year

NOAA logged 68 reports in Blue Earth County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 16 days. That is 1.2 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

Blue Earth County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more024681012142014: 12 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch142015: 6 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch152016: 5 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch162017: 4 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch172018: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch182019: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch192020: 4 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2.5 inch202021: 6 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2 inch212022: 13 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch222023: 3 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch232024: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch242025: 4 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2 inch252026: 8 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 3.5 inch26*
  • reports
  • days with hail of 1 inch or more
  • * 2026 runs to June only
Blue Earth County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 0 reports0JanFebruary: 0 reports0FebMarch: 0 reports0MarApril: 20 reports20AprMay: 12 reports12MayJune: 15 reports15JunJuly: 6 reports6JulAugust: 12 reports12AugSeptember: 3 reports3SepOctober: 0 reports0OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 0 reports0Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: April, 20 reports.

The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
YearReportsDays, 1 inch or moreDays, 1.75 inch or moreLargest stoneDamage reported
201412211.75 in–
20156101 in–
20165311.75 in–
20174101 in–
20192111.75 in–
20204112.5 in–
20216112 in–
202213211.75 in–
20233111.75 in–
20241101 in–
20254112 in–
2026 (to June)8113.5 in–

Biggest hail days in Blue Earth County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
April 13, 20263.5 in8none recordedLake Crystal
June 2, 20202.5 in4none recordedLake Crystal
August 22, 20212 in6none recordedMankato
June 16, 20252 in4none recordedMankato
April 12, 20221.75 in12none recorded(Mkt)Mankato Muni Ar

Where large hail was reported

FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside Blue Earth County the big stones fell.

Reported hail locations, Blue Earth County

1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail2 in hail2 in hail2 in hail2.5 in hail2.5 in hail2.75 in hail3 in hail3 in hail3.5 in hail Mankato
  • 311 to 1.74 in
  • 141.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 42.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 3.5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

49 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.

Sources: NOAA, Census county outline

Wind and tornado records for Blue Earth County

Fastest gusts in Blue Earth County

DateGustNear
June 16, 2014100 mphMinnesota Lake
June 16, 201490 mphBeauford
June 16, 201475 mphMapleton
June 16, 201475 mphMapleton

Strongest tornado tracks in Blue Earth County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
April 13, 2026EF15.68 mi0 / 0Amboy
August 5, 2024EF12.34 mi0 / 0St Clair
July 9, 2017EF12.68 mi0 / 0Judson
September 20, 2018EF01.15 mi0 / 0Garden City

8 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.

How old the roofs are

Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at Blue Earth County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.25 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

Blue Earth County: share of homes by decade built, with the hail days at 1 inch or more that an original roof from each decade has met at the county's 2014 to 2025 ratepre-1940: 20.1% of homes20.1%<19401141940s: 4.4% of homes4.4%1940s1011950s: 8.3% of homes8.3%1950s891960s: 9.3% of homes9.3%1960s761970s: 11.1% of homes11.1%1970s641980s: 7.8% of homes7.8%1980s511990s: 10.8% of homes10.8%1990s392000s: 14.9% of homes14.9%2000s262010s: 11.8% of homes11.8%2010s142020+: 1.4% of homes1.4%2020+4

Bars: share of 29,544 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.

Median year built1977
Built before 198053.2%
Built before 200071.8%
Built since 201013.2%
Owner-occupied61.8%
Median home value$252,800
Single-family permits, 2014 to 20251,913
Permits per 1,000 homes64.8

Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.

Roofers and past disasters in Blue Earth County

Roofing firms in Blue Earth County

Roofing contractor establishments, 20237
Change since 2016+2 (+40%)
Homes per roofing firm4,221
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 2023246

Source for Blue Earth County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.

FEMA disaster declarations naming Blue Earth County since 2014

Declarations naming Blue Earth County5
Storm / flood / winter / fire0 / 5 / 0 / 0
Median MN county3
Rank among 54 MN counties4
Days from the latest to the data cutoff809

Source for Blue Earth County: OpenFEMA, data to 2026-09-15.

Nearby counties

The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by Blue Earth County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Olmsted County, MN84 Relatively Moderate $430.83$190.14109
Stearns County, MN105 Relatively Moderate $440.86$620.4686
St. Louis County, MN260 Relatively Moderate $190.37$0.480.00239

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in Blue Earth County

1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 11 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
Mankato 56001 (100%), 56003 (0%), 56007 (0%) Roofers

Storm hit your roof in Blue Earth County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.

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Questions

How high is storm risk in Blue Earth County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives Blue Earth County an overall score of 72.20 (Relatively Low), 875th of 3,144. Hail scores 85.27 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 95.20 (Relatively High) and tornado 77.07 (Relatively Moderate).

In Blue Earth County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?

A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 68 for Blue Earth County between 2014 and June 2026, on 16 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 3.5 inches.

What do hail and wind cost a home in Blue Earth County each year, on average?

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $252,800: FEMA's estimate is about $13 a year for hail and $34 for wind, before any deductible, against $5.65 and $5.15 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.

How does Blue Earth County compare with the rest of Minnesota?

Per $1 million of buildings Blue Earth County loses $51 to hail a year, against $28 in the median county of the state. Among 87 rated counties it is 14th for hail, 8th for strong wind and 15th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in Blue Earth County?

The median home was built in 1977, 49 years ago, and 71.8% of the 29,544 housing units in Blue Earth County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.

What does expected annual loss mean?

It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.

Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?

No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.

Sources for Blue Earth County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Blue Earth County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Blue Earth County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Blue Earth County; OpenFEMA, declarations naming Blue Earth County. Planning-level information about Blue Earth County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset 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).