FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
North Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Grand Forks County, ND
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 5
- Major disasters
- 58
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Grand Forks County ranks in the riskiest 42% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 71% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 5 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2020, most often severe storm, 30% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 42%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Grand Forks County compare?
Grand Forks County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
5 Top 29% higher than 71% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Grand Forks County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the North Dakota county average
How disaster-prone is Grand Forks County?
Declaration frequency
Grand Forks County, North Dakota has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2026, of which 5 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.8 declarations per year across a 6-year record, or roughly 80% above the North Dakota county average of 2.8 and 30% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 3 of 5 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 57.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $25.0M in annualized losses), and a Very Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put Grand Forks County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. North Dakota Avg
+80%
State avg: 2.8
vs. National Avg
+30%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.8
Over 6 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Grand Forks County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Grand Forks County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
38035
ND state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 3
Flood 2
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 5 100.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4895 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-10-22 |
| 4717 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-05 |
| 4660 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-07-13 |
| 4565 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-10-02 |
| 4475 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2020-01-21 |
Storm Events in North Dakota
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,093 | 3 | 11 | $84.1M |
| Hail | 3,091 | 0 | 2 | $131.5M |
| High Wind | 1,553 | 2 | 2 | $3.1M |
| Blizzard | 1,238 | 4 | 4 | $120.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,119 | 0 | 3 | $650.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 57.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$25.0M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Very High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Hail Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Drought Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in North Dakota
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Grand Forks County, North Dakota had?
Grand Forks County, North Dakota has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2026. Of these, 5 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Grand Forks County?
The most common disaster type in Grand Forks County is Severe Storm, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (2).
How does Grand Forks County's disaster risk compare to the North Dakota average?
Grand Forks County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 80% higher than the North Dakota county average of 2.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 30% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Grand Forks County received?
Grand Forks County has received 5 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in North Dakota?
The most common storm types in North Dakota include Thunderstorm Wind (3,093 events), Hail (3,091 events), High Wind (1,553 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Grand Forks County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Grand Forks County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Grand Forks County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Grand Forks County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Grand Forks County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Grand Forks County, North Dakota has an overall risk score of 57.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $25.0M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Grand Forks County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Grand Forks County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Hail (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Grand Forks County
Grand Forks County, ND runs 80% above the North Dakota county average for federal disaster declarations (5 vs 3), a moderate historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (5 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. North Dakota overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.