McIntosh County, North Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 38051 · population 2,530 · 975 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 454 records for McIntosh County, North Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 335 days; the most frequent are hail reports (146 records). The deadliest single record is the January 26, 1996 cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone McIntosh, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1969, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on February 15, 2024.
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
- 454on 335 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $24Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2024
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 McIntosh County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 146 since 1960. 60% of its hail reports since 1960 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 | 146 | 90 | 1960-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | 23 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 105 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 18 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 94 | 70 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | 19 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 39 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 18 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 28 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 26 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 19 | 1962-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 26 of 53 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 53 |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $499K | 43 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | $191K | 42 of 53 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2001-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 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 McIntosh County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in McIntosh County from 1962 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 26th of 53 North Dakota counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched McIntosh County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in McIntosh County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-07-31 19:30, as SPC files it | VenturiaCrossed ND, SD | F3 | 26.4 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for McIntosh County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-07 | Ashley, McIntosh County | EFU 0.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-07 | Ashley, McIntosh County | EFU 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-18 | Ashley, McIntosh County | EF0 0.02 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-10 | Ashley, McIntosh County | EF0 0.93 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-08-04 | Ashley, McIntosh County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-29 | Ashley, McIntosh County | F1 3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-29 | Ashley, McIntosh County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-07-09 | Ashley, McIntosh County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-18 | Ventura, McIntosh County | F0 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-24 | Ashley, McIntosh County | F0 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-19 | Zeeland, McIntosh County | F0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-08-06 | S Of Wishek, McIntosh County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 1991-06-20 | McIntosh County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1987-08-01 | McIntosh County | F0 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-06-06 | McIntosh County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-27 | McIntosh County | F1 1.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-19 | McIntosh County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-06-09 | McIntosh County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1966-07-31 | McIntosh County | F3 1.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-07-06 | McIntosh County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-07-06 | McIntosh County | F2 | 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 McIntosh County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 5, 2025 flash flood ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindWishek, McIntosh County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindVentura, McIntosh County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-22 | Thunderstorm WindVentura, McIntosh County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-22 | Thunderstorm WindWishek, McIntosh County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Heavy SnowMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Heavy SnowMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-09 | High WindMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-05 | Flash FloodAshley, McIntosh County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindAshley, McIntosh County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindWishek, McIntosh County | 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh An 84 year old Lehr man died of exposure when he went to visit the grave of his wife. The man was found 1 mile from his house. Temperatures that day were around 20 below, and wind chills were estimated to be around 60 below. The man was not wearing a coat or gloves when he was found. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-25 | BlizzardMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 1997-04-04 | BlizzardMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 1993-08-28 | HailWishek, McIntosh County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2007-09-23 | Thunderstorm WindZeeland, McIntosh County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $996K |
| 2015-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindZeeland, McIntosh County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $747K |
| 2023-12-25 | Ice StormMcIntosh County · forecast zone McIntosh | 0 | 0 | $726K | |
| 2014-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAshley, McIntosh County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $436K |
| 2010-05-29 | Flash FloodAshley, McIntosh County | 0 | 0 | $305K |
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 20, 1991 (tornado, McIntosh 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 McIntosh 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 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 46 | 40 | 21 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 27 | 37 | 24 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 14 | 13 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 8 | 13 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 38 · Feb 30 · Mar 29 · Apr 26 · May 35 · Jun 89 · Jul 89 · Aug 48 · Sep 9 · Oct 10 · Nov 17 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for McIntosh County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include McIntosh County: 18 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and flood (8).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-15 | DR-4760 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022-07-13 | DR-4660 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm 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 |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1981 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-04-30 | DR-1907 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-02-26 | DR-1879 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-03-24 | DR-1829 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3247 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1978-04-17 | DR-554 | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1976-07-21 | EM-3016 | Drought | Drought |
| 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.
How many floods has McIntosh County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for McIntosh County from 1997 to 2025, on 5 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), McIntosh County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7,285 on 2 claims filed in McIntosh County; the most in one year was 2 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1997: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for McIntosh County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McIntosh County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.4M | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $164K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $424K | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $126K | once in about 1,677 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $85K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $267K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $21K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very Low | $263K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with McIntosh 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 McIntosh CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download McIntosh County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis