FEMA declarations
75
Above median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
North Dakota Natural Disasters
North Dakota's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 75 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by flood, with $445.3M in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 10,818 recorded weather events resulting in 21 fatalities, figures the state uses to prioritize disaster-preparedness planning.
- 75
- FEMA declarations
- 10,818
- NOAA storm events
- 21
- Storm fatalities
- $445.3M
- Property + crop damage
The North Dakota risk picture
0 of the 53 counties FEMA scores, 0%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with cold wave the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. North Dakota has 61 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 69 injuries statewide.
- 0%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 75
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $445.3M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 13,067
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
81%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
10,818
Observed severe-weather records
How does North Dakota compare?
North Dakota vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
75 49th percentile higher than 49% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
North Dakota county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
22.2 Top 34% higher than 66% of 53 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-03
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
North Dakota sits at the 45th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 44th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes North Dakota's record?
FEMA declaration types in North Dakota
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Flood
Flood
33 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
25 declarations
- Snowstorm 4
Snowstorm
4 declarations
- Fire 4
Fire
4 declarations
- Biological 3
Biological
3 declarations
- Tornado 3
Tornado
3 declarations
- Winter Storm 1
Winter Storm
1 declarations
- Coastal Storm 1
Coastal Storm
1 declarations
What this shows Flood leads North Dakota's FEMA declaration mix with 33 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year
Reported severe-weather events in North Dakota, 2015–2025 catalog window.
Peak year in this series: 2022 (1,486 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
53 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
North Dakota · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
13/30
75 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.8x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Moderate
12/25
10818 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.0x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Moderate
8/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (0.8x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in North Dakota
What does North Dakota's hazard record show?
FEMA disaster declarations
North Dakota (ND) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 75 FEMA declaration records, including 61 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Flood, followed by Severe Storm (25), Snowstorm (4), Fire (4). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 49North Dakota counties have filed 13,067 NFIP claims totaling $258.0M, or an average of $19.7K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Cold Wave, estimated at $0.2B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, North Dakota recorded 10,818 individual storm events, causing 21 fatalities and 69 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $445.3M. The most frequent event types in the state are Hail (2,705 events), Thunderstorm Wind (2,459 events), High Wind (1,184 events). Across the 53counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 0 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 22.2/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
Disaster Types in North Dakota
Flood 33
Severe Storm 25
Snowstorm 4
Fire 4
Biological 3
Tornado 3
Winter Storm 1
Coastal Storm 1
Drought 1
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for North Dakota (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 2,705 | 0 | 2 | $116.1M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,459 | 2 | 10 | $67.0M |
| High Wind | 1,184 | 1 | 1 | $2.9M |
| Heavy Snow | 925 | 0 | 3 | $650.0K |
| Blizzard | 905 | 2 | 2 | $60.0M |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 723 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Drought | 596 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Tornado | 298 | 4 | 28 | $17.1M |
| Funnel Cloud | 255 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 200 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 164 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 82 | 2 | 2 | $17.8M |
| Flood | 71 | 3 | 0 | $16.3M |
| Winter Weather | 59 | 2 | 5 | $575.0K |
| Ice Storm | 43 | 0 | 0 | $8.1M |
| Frost/Freeze | 39 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Dense Smoke | 36 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Strong Wind | 18 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Excessive Heat | 18 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,070 | 4 | 3 | $32.6M |
| 2024 | 717 | 2 | 11 | $46.8M |
| 2023 | 781 | 4 | 4 | $26.1M |
| 2022 | 1,486 | 6 | 5 | $68.2M |
| 2021 | 1,196 | 0 | 0 | $8.4M |
| 2020 | 927 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M |
| 2019 | 1,095 | 3 | 6 | $12.5M |
| 2018 | 923 | 2 | 35 | $25.1M |
| 2017 | 720 | 0 | 3 | $10.0M |
| 2016 | 1,092 | 0 | 2 | $87.1M |
| 2015 | 811 | 0 | 0 | $7.3M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 75 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 75 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
75 unique disaster declarations in North Dakota.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4895 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-10-22 |
| 4888 | SEVERE STORM, TORNADOES, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-09-11 |
| 4852 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2024-12-24 |
| 5540 | BEAR DEN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-10-06 |
| 5541 | ELK HORN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-10-06 |
| 4760 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Winter Storm | 2024-02-15 |
| 4717 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-05 |
| 4686 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Snowstorm | 2023-02-05 |
| 4660 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-07-13 |
| 4613 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-09-01 |
| 4565 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-10-02 |
| 4553 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2020-07-09 |
| 4509 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-01 |
| 3477 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3512 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4475 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2020-01-21 |
| 4444 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-06-12 |
| 4323 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2017-07-12 |
| 4190 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2014-08-19 |
| 4154 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-10-31 |
| 4128 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-07-12 |
| 4123 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-06-25 |
| 4118 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-05-29 |
| 3364 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2013-04-26 |
| 1986 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-05-20 |
| 1981 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-05-10 |
| 3318 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2011-04-07 |
| 1907 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2010-04-30 |
| 1901 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-04-21 |
| 3309 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2010-03-14 |
| 1879 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-02-26 |
| 1829 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-03-24 |
| 1725 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-09-07 |
| 1726 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-09-07 |
| 1713 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-07-17 |
| 1645 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND GROUND SATURATION | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-06-05 |
| 1621 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-01-04 |
| 1616 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND RECORD AND/OR NEAR RECORD SNOW | DR | Snowstorm | 2005-11-21 |
| 3247 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-13 |
| 1597 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND GROUND SATURATION | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-07-22 |
| 1515 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND GROUND SATURATION | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-05-05 |
| 3196 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2004-04-02 |
| 1483 | SEVERE STORMS AND HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-08-01 |
| 1431 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2002-09-10 |
| 2435 | ND - AGAIN FIRE - 06/29/2002 | FM | Fire | 2002-06-29 |
| 1376 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, & GROUND SATURATION | DR | Flood | 2001-05-28 |
| 1353 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2000-12-29 |
| 1334 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND GROUND SATURATION | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-06-27 |
| 1279 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, SNOW, ICE, GROUND SATURATION, LANSLIDES, MUDSLIDES, AND TOR | DR | Flood | 1999-06-08 |
| 1220 | FLOODING, GROUND SATURATION,SEVERE STORMS | DR | Flood | 1998-06-15 |
Showing 50 of 75 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for North Dakota counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
22.2/100
High Risk Counties
0
of 53 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Cold Wave
$0.2B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Cold Wave
$189.3M EAL
#2
Riverine Flooding
$160.8M EAL
#3
Hail
$62.3M EAL
#4
Tornado
$46.8M EAL
#5
Strong Wind
$34.9M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across North Dakota from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
13,067
Total Paid
$258.0M
Avg Per Claim
$19.7K
Counties With Claims
49
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in North Dakota
53 counties with FEMA disaster data.
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in North Dakota are Burleigh (85.1), Cass (82.4), Ward (64.8), Sioux (62.1), Grand Forks (57.7). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 53 counties in North Dakota are listed above.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect North Dakota?
North Dakota is affected by flood, severe storm, snowstorm, fire. The most common disaster type is Flood, based on 75 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has North Dakota had?
North Dakota has received 75 FEMA disaster declarations, including 61 major disaster declarations. The declaration history covers several disaster types, including Flood (33), Severe Storm (25), Snowstorm (4).
What severe weather events are most common in North Dakota?
The most common severe weather events in North Dakota include hail (2,705 events), thunderstorm wind (2,459 events), high wind (1,184 events). These NOAA storm events recorded from 2015 to 2025 have caused 21 fatalities and $445.3M in property and crop damage.
How active is North Dakota's federal disaster declaration record?
North Dakota has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 75 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 21 fatalities and 69 injuries. Combined NOAA-listed property and crop losses total $445.3M.
How many flood insurance claims has North Dakota had?
North Dakota has 13,067 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $258.0M total paid out. Per-claim payments average $19.7K, with 49 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in North Dakota have the most disaster declarations?
Among 53 counties in North Dakota, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Walsh (41 declarations), Grand Forks (38 declarations), Pembina (38 declarations). Breaking the declarations down by county reveals patterns a statewide total can mask.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for North Dakota
Walsh alone accounts for 55% of North Dakota's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 53 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Walsh and Grand Forks carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how North Dakota ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.