Mercer County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mercer County's overall risk Very Low (score 13.9 of 100, higher than 13% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 528 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 Moderate | 84.3 | $353K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.1 | $952K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.2 | $2.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.0 | $228K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.5 | $624K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 21.7 | $269K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 61.6 | $128K |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.0 | $7K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 20.0 | $159 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 16.4 | $2.7M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.1 | $43K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.0 | $50K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 4.3 | $6K |
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 | 154 | 0 | $1.5M | 25th of 53 | 1963rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 138 | 0 | $6.4M | 17th of 53 | 2415th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 98 | 0 | $6.4M | 29th of 53 | 1628th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 0 | $124K | 13th of 53 | 875th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 0 | – | 30th of 53 | 965th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $5.8M | 25th of 53 | 2023rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 18th of 53 | 1951st of 3,063 |
| Floods | 12 | 0 | $7.9M | 23rd of 53 | 2666th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 7th of 53 | 1670th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 28th of 53 | 2368th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $8K | 30th of 53 | 2262nd 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 Mercer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.