Dunn County, North Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 38025 · population 4,088 · 2,008 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 537 records for Dunn County, North Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 390 days; the most frequent are hail reports (166 records). The most damaging was the July 10, 2016 hail ($25.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1969, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on July 5, 2023.
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
- 537on 390 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 06 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $45Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 24strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2023
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 Dunn County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 166 since 1963. 68% of its hail reports since 1963 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 | 166 | 100 | 1963-2025 | 0 | 2 | $30M | 52 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 106 | 80 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | 44 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 102 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $8.8M | 51 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 64 | 62 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $80K | 33 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 26 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 18 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $790K | 49 of 53 |
| Drought | 23 | 23 | 2021-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 53 |
| Floods | 13 | 13 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | 35 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 8 | 2011-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 53 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 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 Dunn County had?
NOAA records 24 tornadoes in Dunn County from 1960 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Dunn County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 24: 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.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Dunn County (24)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-12 | Emerson, Dunn County | EFU 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-07-14 | Dodge, Dunn County | EF0 1.01 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2018-07-14 | Dodge, Dunn County | EF1 0.33 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2018-06-01 | Killdeer, Dunn County | EF2 3.49 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 2018-06-01 | Killdeer, Dunn County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-31 | Emerson, Dunn County | EF0 0.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-24 | Emerson, Dunn County | EF0 0.08 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-02 | Killdeer, Dunn County | EF0 0.86 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-08 | Emerson, Dunn County | EF0 1.93 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-16 | Dodge, Dunn County | EF0 0.11 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-07-19 | Dunn Center, Dunn County | EF0 0.52 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-26 | Dunn County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-06-26 | Dunn County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-27 | Dunn County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-07-08 | Dunn County | F1 0.6 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-11 | Dunn County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-04 | Dunn County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-04 | Dunn County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-04 | Dunn County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-04 | Dunn County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-07-29 | Dunn County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1978-05-26 | Dunn County | F2 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-07-18 | Dunn County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1960-08-02 | Dunn County | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Dunn County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 27, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($75,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A garage was destroyed by the thunderstorm winds.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1285343)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindManning, Dunn County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindManning, Dunn County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindHalliday, Dunn County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindHalliday, Dunn County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindEmerson, Dunn County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindManning, Dunn County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindHalliday, Dunn County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Dust StormDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Heavy SnowDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-15 | High WindDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-10 | HailKilldeer, Dunn County A slow moving supercell resulted in an extended period of very large hail and damaging wind gusts in and around the city of Killdeer. Hail up to 3.25 inches in diameter completely covered the ground in many locations. The hail combined with wind gusts of 75 mph to cause extreme damage to buildings, trees, and vehicles ... | 3.25 in hail | 0 | 2 | $26M |
| 2014-09-03 | Thunderstorm WindDunn Center, Dunn County Minor injuries occurred to a 9 year old female that was inside a 5th wheel trailer-camper that tipped over. A horse trailer nearby also tipped over. Farm outbuildings and fences were damaged and trees were snapped. There was speculation that the damage could have been caused by a tornado, but determination from photo ... | 74 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $374K |
| 1997-04-04 | BlizzardDunn County · forecast zone Dunn Warm weather the first three days of April lead much of North Dakota to believe that spring had arrived with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Mother Nature had other plans. A very strong area of low pressure moved out of the Colorado area into the northern plains. Warm moist air ahead of the low collided with cold air ... | 0 | 1 | $3.2M | |
| 1997-01-09 | BlizzardDunn County · forecast zone Dunn The second blizzard in less than 1 week brought North Dakota to a virtual standstill. This blizzard didn't bring as much snow as the first storm, but the winds gusted from the northwest as high at 40 mph and they lasted for 3 days. Snowfall amounts from this storm varied from 1-2 inches in the southwest to 2-4 inches ... | 0 | 1 | $2.8M | |
| 1997-01-04 | BlizzardDunn County · forecast zone Dunn The first blizzard of 1997 hit east-central North Dakota on the morning of the 4th. The blizzard was preceeded by freezing rain that lasted most of the day before switching over to snow. The snow became so heavy that the highway department pulled the plows off of the roads the evening of the 4th and all day on the ... | 0 | 1 | $460K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-10 | HailKilldeer, Dunn County | 3.25 in hail | 0 | 2 | $26M |
| 2014-09-03 | HailManning, Dunn County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2014-08-15 | FloodKilldeer, Dunn County | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2010-01-24 | BlizzardDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2023-04-16 | FloodKilldeer, Dunn County | 0 | 0 | $523K | |
| 2014-09-03 | Thunderstorm WindDunn Center, Dunn County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $374K |
| 2017-07-20 | Thunderstorm WindHalliday, Dunn County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $331K |
| 2005-10-04 | BlizzardDunn County · forecast zone Dunn | 0 | 0 | $287K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 26, 1978 (tornado, Dunn County); June 4, 1980 (tornado, Dunn County); June 4, 1980 (tornado, Dunn 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 Dunn 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 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 21 | 41 | 68 | 21 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 17 | 32 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 36 | 35 | 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 13 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
68% of its hail reports since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 24 · Mar 37 · Apr 21 · May 34 · Jun 103 · Jul 128 · Aug 66 · Sep 11 · Oct 18 · Nov 18 · Dec 35 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Dunn County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Dunn County: 14 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (6) and severe storm (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-05 | DR-4717 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022-07-13 | DR-4660 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2020-04-01 | DR-4509 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3477 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-07-12 | DR-4128 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-05-20 | DR-1986 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-02-26 | DR-1879 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-03-24 | DR-1829 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-11-21 | DR-1616 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and/Or Near Record Snow |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3247 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-04-02 | EM-3196 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
| 1978-04-17 | DR-554 | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-07-21 | EM-3016 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-05-24 | DR-469 | Flood | Flooding From Rains & Snowmelt |
| 1970-06-05 | DR-287 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Dunn County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dunn County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $214K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $131K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $608K | once in about 1,149 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $991K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $152K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $1K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $18K | 28 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Dunn 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 Dunn CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Dunn County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis