Benson County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Benson County's overall risk Very Low (score 24.3 of 100, higher than 24% 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 853 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 | 88.5 | $225K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $2.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 82.0 | $296K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.0 | $581K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 80.1 | $251K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $335K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33.6 | $22K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.5 | $714 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.9 | $157K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 11.7 | $14K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 8.1 | $16K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 6.7 | $584K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.3 | $1K |
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 | 299 | 0 | $4.8M | 15th of 53 | 1594th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 156 | 0 | $14M | 29th of 53 | 2537th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 141 | 0 | $22M | 27th of 53 | 1556th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 90 | 0 | $8K | 12th of 53 | 344th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 65 | 0 | $123M | 4th of 53 | 1648th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 49 | 0 | $3.5M | 15th of 53 | 1818th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 0 | $45K | 40th of 53 | 1472nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 53rd of 53 | 2422nd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 41st of 53 | 2413th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 36th of 53 | 2306th 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 Benson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.