FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
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
FEMA's National Risk Index places Grand Forks County in the top 42% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 72% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Grand Forks County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the North Dakota county average and the national county average.
- Grand Forks County
- 5
- North Dakota county avg
- 2.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Grand Forks County?
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 34% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 3 of 5 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 57.7/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $25.0M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Very Low and community resilience scores Relatively High - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Winter Weather (Very High).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Grand Forks County at a moderate relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Grand Forks County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. North Dakota Avg
+80%
State avg: 2.8
vs. National Avg
+34%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.8
Over 6 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Grand Forks County
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.
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
Breakdown of 5 FEMA disaster declarations in Grand Forks County by incident type.
Severe Storm 3
Flood 2
Declaration Types
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
Disaster declarations per year for Grand Forks County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 5 FEMA disaster declarations for Grand Forks County, North Dakota.
| 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
NOAA severe weather data for North Dakota (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 2,903 | 0 | 2 | $129.1M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,804 | 3 | 11 | $80.0M |
| High Wind | 1,295 | 1 | 1 | $3.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 971 | 0 | 3 | $650.0K |
| Blizzard | 949 | 2 | 4 | $60.0M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Grand Forks County.
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
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Grand Forks County.
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
Other North Dakota counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
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 3.7, it is 34% 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 Hail (2,903 events), Thunderstorm Wind (2,804 events), High Wind (1,295 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?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Grand Forks County has a moderate disaster risk level with 5 total declarations. This county has a moderate number of disaster declarations.
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 has 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 80% above the North Dakota county average.
- 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.
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 report a data error.