McKenzie County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates McKenzie County's overall risk Very Low (score 25.0 of 100, higher than 25% 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 626 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 | 87.7 | $469K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | $4.9M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.9 | $321K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.4 | $438K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 50.7 | $778K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 33.1 | $848K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 31.0 | $39K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 25.3 | $125K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 49.1 | $2K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.3 | $80K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 15.3 | $2.6M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 7.8 | $10K |
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 | 225 | 0 | $6.4M | 53rd of 53 | 2550th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 144 | 0 | $1.5M | 47th of 53 | 2656th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 92 | 3 | $10.0M | 53rd of 53 | 2501st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 59 | 0 | $13M | 52nd of 53 | 1791st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 1 | $28K | 53rd of 53 | 1830th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 25 | 0 | – | 27th of 53 | 2044th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 1 | $7.8M | 52nd of 53 | 2530th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 8 | 0 | $6.7M | 49th of 53 | 2993rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 38th of 53 | 2362nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $11M | 13th of 53 | 1196th of 2,972 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 53rd of 53 | 2477th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full McKenzie County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.