McLean County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates McLean County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 43.1 of 100, higher than 43% 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 799 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 | 94.4 | $746K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | $5.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $540K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.8 | $1.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.0 | $376K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $1.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.1 | $39K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 33.1 | $4.6M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.1 | $374 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 15.7 | $48K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.0 | $20K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.6 | $48K |
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 | 281 | 0 | $1.8M | 33rd of 53 | 2106th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 217 | 1 | $11M | 28th of 53 | 2530th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 2 | $9.7M | 50th of 53 | 2258th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 67 | 0 | $309K | 34th of 53 | 1385th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 0 | $5.5M | 31st of 53 | 2105th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 1 | – | 49th of 53 | 1434th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 12 | 0 | $8.0M | 39th of 53 | 2891st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 49th of 53 | 2193rd of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $230K | 8th of 53 | 1645th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 52nd of 53 | 2458th 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 McLean County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.