FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
North Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Sioux County, ND
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 62
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Sioux County in the top 38% 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 Sioux County compare?
- Sioux County
- 2
- North Dakota county avg
- 2.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Sioux County?
Sioux County, North Dakota has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2025, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.5 declarations per year across a 4-year record, 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 Severe Storm, with 2 of 2 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 62.1/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Very Low (roughly $12.4M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Taken together, Sioux 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
0.5
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Sioux County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Sioux 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
38085
ND state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 2
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4888 | SEVERE STORM, TORNADOES, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-09-11 |
| 4613 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-09-01 |
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
Relatively Low
Score: 62.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$12.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Heat Wave 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 Sioux County, North Dakota had?
Sioux County, North Dakota has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2025. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Sioux County?
The most common disaster type in Sioux County is Severe Storm, with 2 declarations.
How does Sioux County's disaster risk compare to the North Dakota average?
Sioux 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 Sioux County received?
Sioux 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 was the worst year for disasters in Sioux County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Sioux County was 2021, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Sioux County?
Sioux 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 Sioux County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Sioux County, North Dakota has an overall risk score of 62.1 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $12.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Sioux County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Sioux County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). 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 Sioux County
Sioux 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.