Other villages in the municipality included Askjem, Hasselvika, Husbysjøen, Rørvika, Råkvåg, Sørfjorden, and Stadsbygd.

[8] The municipality (originally the parish) was historically named "Rissen", or more recently spelled "Rissa" (Old Norse: Rissi).

Even though this is a heavily land-locked fjord with a river-like inlet from the Trondheimsfjord (it was probably a shallow bay in prehistoric times).

The official blazon is "Vert, a chaplet of three quatrefoils argent" (Norwegian: I grønt en sølv rosekrans).

This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a chaplet (crown) with three quatrefoils.

The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used.

An area of 330,000 m2 (3,600,000 sq ft) sent 6,000,000 m3 (7,800,000 cu yd) of quick clay slid down into the shores of Botn.

The landslip caused a tsunami to strike the north shore at Leira, which destroyed a saw mill and flooded several houses.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Rissa was made up of 23 representatives that are elected to four year terms.

Here is a list of people who held this position:[33][34] One major employer in Rissa is Fosen Yard AS.

Opened in 1972 as Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder, it has built a number of vessels used in Norway and abroad: The company was originally Frengen Slip and Motorverksted (c. 1918) located in Fevåg and moved to Fosen by Jens Petter Bye who acquired Frengen Slip and Motorverksted in 1962.