Divide County, North Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 38023 · population 2,195 · 1,261 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 372 records for Divide County, North Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 288 days; the most frequent are hail reports (101 records). 187 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the August 22, 1997 hail ($10.7 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1969, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on September 1, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 372on 288 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $28Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Divide County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 101 since 1968. 70% of its hail reports since 1968 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among North Dakota's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 101 | 70 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 47 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 83 | 82 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 41 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 65 | 44 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $770K | 48 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 44 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $126K | 27 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 53 |
| Drought | 21 | 21 | 2021-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1950-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 50 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 6 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | $726K | 39 of 53 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | $496K | 52 of 53 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 53 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Divide County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Divide County from 1950 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 12 tornadoes whose track touched Divide County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-06-14 17:00, as SPC files it | Fortuna | F3 | 23.7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Divide County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 | Noonan, Divide County | EFU 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-07-21 | Noonan, Divide County | EF0 1.13 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-05-22 | Ambrose, Divide County | EF0 5.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-06-11 | Crosby, Divide County | EF0 1.41 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-06-11 | Crosby, Divide County | EF1 3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $107K |
| 2003-07-18 | Crosby, Divide County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-04 | Noonan, Divide County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-22 | Hamlet, Divide County | F0 0.1 mi x 11 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-22 | Wildrose, Divide County | F0 0.1 mi x 12 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-07-02 | Divide County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-07-14 | Divide County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1962-08-18 | Divide County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1950-06-14 | Divide County | F3 23.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Divide County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 17, 2025 hail ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindFortuna, Divide County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindAlkabo, Divide County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | TornadoNoonan, Divide County | EFU 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailNoonan, Divide County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailNoonan, Divide County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailCrosby, Divide County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailFortuna, Divide County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailFortuna, Divide County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindNoonan, Divide County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCrosby, Divide County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCrosby, Divide County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindFortuna, Divide County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-08-22 | HailFortuna, Divide County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 2022-04-23 | BlizzardDivide County · forecast zone Divide | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2023-01-15 | Dense FogDivide County · forecast zone Divide | 0 | 0 | $726K | |
| 2016-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindCrosby, Divide County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $430K |
| 2018-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindFortuna, Divide County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $176K |
| 2007-06-11 | TornadoCrosby, Divide County | EF1 3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $107K |
| 2025-08-17 | HailAlkabo, Divide County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2007-08-10 | Thunderstorm WindCrosby, Divide County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $93K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 2, 1990 (tornado, Divide County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Divide County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 36 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 31 | 26 | 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 24 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 16 | 18 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 9 | 16 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
70% of its hail reports since 1968 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 25 · Mar 23 · Apr 16 · May 25 · Jun 59 · Jul 81 · Aug 35 · Sep 8 · Oct 15 · Nov 17 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Divide County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Divide County: 15 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (8) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4934 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2022-07-13 | DR-4660 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2021-09-01 | DR-4613 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-01 | DR-4509 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3477 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014-08-19 | DR-4190 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-05-20 | DR-1986 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1981 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3247 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-12-29 | DR-1353 | Tornado | Severe Winter Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1999-06-08 | DR-1279 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow, Ice, Ground Saturation, Lanslides, Mudslides, and Tor |
| 1997-04-07 | DR-1174 | Flood | Severe Flooding,Severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains |
| 1997-01-12 | DR-1157 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Blizzard Conditions |
| 1993-07-26 | DR-1001 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-04-26 | DR-581 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-04-16 | DR-501 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-256 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Divide County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Divide County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $201K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $153K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $268K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $914K | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $25K | 28 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $64K | once in about 4,814 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $190K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $40K | 26 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Divide County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in North DakotaEvery North Dakota tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in North DakotaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The North Dakota recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Divide CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Divide County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis