Kidder County, North Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 38043 · population 2,383 · 1,351 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 461 records for Kidder County, North Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 342 days; the most frequent are hail reports (133 records). The most damaging was the June 25, 1999 thunderstorm wind ($8.9 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1976, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on October 22, 2025.
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
- 461on 342 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 010 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $29Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 2025
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 Kidder County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 133 since 1977. 59% of its hail reports since 1977 fell in July and August. 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 | 133 | 86 | 1977-2026 | 0 | 0 | $681K | 42 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 103 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 9 | $9.4M | 36 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 90 | 57 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 38 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 53 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 21 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 20 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 1 | $5.0M | 37 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 9 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 53 |
| Drought | 9 | 9 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 53 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 38 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 53 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 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 Kidder County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Kidder County from 1960 to 2025, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 24 tornadoes whose track touched Kidder County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Kidder County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-07-01 18:00, as SPC files it | Tuttle | F4 | 48 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Kidder County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-27 | Steele Municipal Airport, Kidder County | EFU 1.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-20 | Tappen, Kidder County | EF1 6.21 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 2024-08-28 | Steele, Kidder County | EF1 0.86 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $588K |
| 2021-05-19 | Tappen, Kidder County | EFU 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-24 | Tuttle, Kidder County | EF1 2.35 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2006-08-24 | Steele, Kidder County | F0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-21 | Tappen, Kidder County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-17 | Lake Williams, Kidder County | F2 10 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 1999-06-25 | Tuttle, Kidder County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-03 | Steele, Kidder County | F2 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $709K |
| 1997-08-05 | Pettibone, Kidder County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-09 | Steele, Kidder County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-07-03 | Bismarck, Kidder County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-05-21 | Kidder County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1988-06-12 | Kidder County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1985-05-10 | Kidder County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-08-24 | Kidder County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1983-06-02 | Kidder County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1963-06-22 | Kidder County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-07-27 | Kidder 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 Kidder County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 8, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($200,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Two large grain bins became dislodged from their base and rolled to the west. One ended up over the nearby county road, and the other ended up wrapped around the side of a house.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1289704)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HailPettibone, Kidder County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindCrystal Spgs, Kidder County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindPettibone, Kidder County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindSteele Municipal Airport, Kidder County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindPettibone, Kidder County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | HailPettibone, Kidder County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | HailRobinson, Kidder County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-08 | High WindKidder County · forecast zone Kidder | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Heavy SnowKidder County · forecast zone Kidder | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindKidder County · forecast zone Kidder | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindKidder County · forecast zone Kidder | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-09 | High WindKidder County · forecast zone Kidder | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-21 | BlizzardKidder County · forecast zone Kidder The last in a string of 4 blizzards to hit North Dakota struck in the morning of the 22nd. Snow amounts with this storm ranged from 2-4 inches, but northwest winds gusted to near 45 mph. Again, east-central and eastern North Dakota were hardest hit. I-29 in North Dakota and I-94 from Bismarck to Fargo were closed ... | 0 | 4 | $1.5M | |
| 1997-01-15 | BlizzardKidder County · forecast zone Kidder The 3rd blizzard to hit North Dakota in less than 3 weeks affected mainly the east-central and eastern part of the state. Again, like the previous blizzard, the winds was the major weather factor. Wind gusts at times were over 50 mph. This created widespread blowing and drifting snow. All major roads in the area were ... | 0 | 3 | $1.7M | |
| 1997-01-09 | BlizzardKidder County · forecast zone Kidder 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 | 2 | $2.8M | |
| 1988-06-12 | TornadoKidder County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindTuttle, Kidder County | 0 | 0 | $8.9M | |
| 2009-04-01 | FloodTuttle, Kidder County | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2001-07-17 | TornadoLake Williams, Kidder County | F2 10 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| 2025-06-20 | TornadoTappen, Kidder County | EF1 6.21 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $750K |
| 1999-06-03 | TornadoSteele, Kidder County | F2 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $709K |
| 1999-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindPettibone, Kidder County | 0 | 0 | $709K | |
| 2024-08-28 | TornadoSteele, Kidder County | EF1 0.86 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $588K |
| 1996-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindSteele, Kidder County | 0 | 0 | $564K |
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: June 12, 1988 (tornado, Kidder 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 Kidder 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 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 31 | 56 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 29 | 33 | 21 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 25 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 14 | 18 | 19 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 15 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
59% of its hail reports since 1977 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 27 · Mar 29 · Apr 17 · May 26 · Jun 99 · Jul 74 · Aug 66 · Sep 13 · Oct 12 · Nov 19 · Dec 38 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Kidder County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Kidder County: 23 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-22 | DR-4895 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4888 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2023-02-05 | DR-4686 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4553 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020-04-01 | DR-4509 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3477 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020-01-21 | DR-4475 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2013-07-12 | DR-4128 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1981 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-04-30 | DR-1907 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009-03-24 | DR-1829 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3247 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-07-22 | DR-1597 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation |
| 2001-05-28 | DR-1376 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation |
| 2000-06-27 | DR-1334 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation |
| 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 |
| 1996-06-05 | DR-1118 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Flooding, & Ice Jams |
| 1995-05-16 | DR-1050 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation |
| 1994-07-01 | DR-1032 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding |
| 1993-07-26 | DR-1001 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-04-26 | DR-581 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-07-21 | EM-3016 | Drought | Drought |
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 Kidder County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kidder County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.4 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 Low | $124K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $439K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.4M | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $106K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $333K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $49K | once in about 2,843 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $18K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very Low | $246K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Kidder 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 Kidder CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Kidder County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis