Barnes County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Barnes County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 45.9 of 100, higher than 45% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 911 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.9 | $442K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.5 | $4.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $960K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $397K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $924K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 65.4 | $106K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 41.8 | $799K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $4.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.8 | $1K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.7 | $10K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.1 | $49K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 10.6 | $31K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5.2 | $4K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 331 | 0 | $204K | 4th of 53 | 1151st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 176 | 0 | $22M | 20th of 53 | 1414th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 172 | 0 | $23M | 16th of 53 | 2409th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 78 | 0 | $80K | 16th of 53 | 486th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 66 | 0 | $17M | 5th of 53 | 1272nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 31 | 0 | $6.7M | 17th of 53 | 2458th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 31 | 0 | $685K | 53rd of 53 | 1838th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 8 | 0 | – | 46th of 53 | 2184th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 9th of 53 | 2119th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $338K | 9th of 53 | 1692nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 37th of 53 | 2316th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Barnes County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.