Williams County, North Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 38105 · population 40,917 · 2,078 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 681 records for Williams County, North Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 394 days; the most frequent are hail reports (231 records). The deadliest single record is the October 5, 2024 wildfire, filed for the forecast zone Williams, which covers the county: 2 deaths, 8 injuries and $18.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1969, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on September 1, 2026.
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
- 681on 394 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 819 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $54Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 2026
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 Williams County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 231 since 1957. 71% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 231 | 115 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | 48 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 185 | 100 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 1 | $3.9M | 34 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 87 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 9 | $20M | 52 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 61 | 56 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 1 | $133K | 42 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | – | 48 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 21 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 48 of 53 |
| Drought | 22 | 22 | 2021-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 18 | 2004-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 53 |
| Floods | 12 | 11 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 40 of 53 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-2010 | 0 | 0 | $71K | 22 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2012-2024 | 2 | 8 | $19M | 10 of 53 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 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 Williams County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Williams County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Williams County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-07-11 15:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Williams County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-12 | Wheelock, Williams County | EFU 0.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-06-10 | Williston, Williams County | EFU 0.92 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-07-26 | Tioga, Williams County | EF0 3.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-08-10 | Alamo, Williams County | EF0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Sloulin Field Wil, Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-05 | Williston, Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-29 | Epping, Williams County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-22 | Wildrose, Williams County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-22 | Wildrose, Williams County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-22 | Appam, Williams County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-06-27 | Williams County | F2 0.4 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-07-29 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-07-29 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-17 | Williams County | F1 1.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-13 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-13 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-06-05 | Williams County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-06-27 | Williams County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-07-11 | Williams County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-07-06 | Williams County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-06-20 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-07-22 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-07-16 | Williams County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1955-06-29 | Williams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-06-13 | Williams County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Williams County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 27, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindZahl, Williams County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindGrenora, Williams County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindSloulin Field Wil, Williams County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindSloulin Field Wil, Williams County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindBonetraill, Williams County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindBonetraill, Williams County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindTrenton, Williams County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindBuford, Williams County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | HailAlamo, Williams County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | HailWilliston, Williams County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindWilliams County · forecast zone Williams | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindWilliams County · forecast zone Williams | 62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-05 | WildfireWilliams County · forecast zone Williams There was a complex of two main fires in Williams County, referred to as the Ray-Tioga Fire and the Highway 85 Fire. Both of these fires crossed US Highway 2, and the Highway 85 fire nearly entered the town of Ray. Nearly 90,000 acres were burned by these fires, which resulted in two deaths and eight injuries. Many ... | 2 | 8 | $19M | |
| 1999-01-01 | Winter StormWilliams County · forecast zone Williams A trough of low pressure extended from the northern plains into an area of intense low pressure system over the central plains. A strong upper level short wave accompanied the surface trough as it moved through the northern plains on New Years day. Heavy snow fell along and east of the surface trough with 6 to 8 ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1990-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindWilliams County | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2011-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillWilliams County · forecast zone Williams The combination of winds and cold Arctic air resulted in wind chill temperatures of 40 below to near 50 below zero. One fatality (direct) occurred due to the extreme cold. The body of an adult female was found one mile from her car near Tioga, in Williams County. The woman left the vehicle when it became disabled. The ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-12-24 | Cold/Wind ChillWilliams County · forecast zone Williams A 41 yr. old female died of exposure in Williston. Her body was found only a few feet from the front door of her house. It is believed that she died sometime during the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 24. The morning low that morning in Williston was 19 below. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-11-21 | Cold/Wind ChillWilliams County · forecast zone Williams A 79 yr. old Crosby farmer died of exposure when his pickup got stuck on a gravel road 5.5 miles east of Crosby. Authorities speculate that when the truck ran out of gas, the farmer left the safety of his pickup in search for help. His body was found 2.5 miles west of his truck. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-09 | BlizzardWilliams County · forecast zone Williams 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 | 6 | $2.8M | |
| 1996-10-20 | Winter StormWilliams County · forecast zone Williams The first winter storm of the year moved through Montana and slowed over North Dakota. Unseasonably warm air ahead of the low was replaced by cold arctic air. Snow began falling in the western part of the state on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 20th and continued into the morning of the 21st. 2 injuries were reported ... | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-05 | WildfireWilliams County · forecast zone Williams | 2 | 8 | $19M | |
| 2022-04-23 | BlizzardWilliams County · forecast zone Williams | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 1993-08-21 | HailWilliston, Williams County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2014-09-03 | Thunderstorm WindWilliston, Williams County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2021-06-10 | HailWilliston, Williams County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1999-08-08 | HailRay, Williams County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2006-04-18 | Winter StormWilliams County · forecast zone Williams | 0 | 0 | $878K | |
| 2021-06-10 | Flash FloodSloulin Field Wil, Williams County | 0 | 0 | $871K |
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 5, 1976 (tornado, Williams County); May 17, 1977 (tornado, Williams 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 Williams 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 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 53 | 102 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 28 | 21 | 47 | 59 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 29 | 30 | 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 17 | 15 | 27 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 9 | 14 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
71% of its hail reports since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 27 · Mar 30 · Apr 16 · May 53 · Jun 147 · Jul 211 · Aug 68 · Sep 21 · Oct 18 · Nov 18 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Williams County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Williams County: 17 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4934 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2024-12-24 | DR-4852 | Fire | Wildfires 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 |
| 2020-04-01 | DR-4509 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3477 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-05-20 | DR-1986 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1981 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009-03-24 | DR-1829 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3247 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-04-02 | EM-3196 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2000-12-29 | DR-1353 | Tornado | Severe Winter Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1976-04-16 | DR-501 | Flood | Flooding |
| 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 Williams County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Williams County from 1998 to 2021, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Williams County ranks 2105th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $248,000 on 19 claims filed in Williams County; the most in one year was 4 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2023: 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 Williams County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Williams County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $24.9 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 | Very High | $1.4M | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $11M | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $929K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $447K | once in about 1,761 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $893K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.9M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $600K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Williams 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 Williams CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Williams County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis