FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
North Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Mercer County, ND
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Snowstorm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 14
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Snowstorm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Mercer County in the top 86% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Mercer County compare?
- Mercer County
- 2
- North Dakota county avg
- 2.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Mercer County?
Mercer County, North Dakota has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2023, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at - declarations per year, or roughly 28% below the North Dakota county average of 2.8 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Snowstorm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 13.9/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $7.8M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively High). Among the 18 modeled hazards, Winter Weather carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Mercer County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. North Dakota Avg
-28%
State avg: 2.8
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
-
-
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Mercer County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Mercer 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
38057
ND state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 1
Snowstorm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 100.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4717 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-05 |
| 4686 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Snowstorm | 2023-02-05 |
Storm Events in North Dakota
| 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
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 13.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$7.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Lightning 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 Mercer County, North Dakota had?
Mercer County, North Dakota has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2023. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Mercer County?
The most common disaster type in Mercer County is Snowstorm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Flood (1).
How does Mercer County's disaster risk compare to the North Dakota average?
Mercer County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 28% lower than the North Dakota county average of 2.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Mercer County received?
Mercer County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 2 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 is the overall disaster risk level for Mercer County?
Mercer County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Mercer County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Mercer County, North Dakota has an overall risk score of 13.9 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $7.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Mercer County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Mercer County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (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 Mercer County
Mercer County, ND has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 28% below the North Dakota county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 2) - 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.