Morton County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Morton County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 49.6 of 100, higher than 49% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, winter weather, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,035 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 95.8 | $5.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.5 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.0 | $967K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | $6.0M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.9 | $375K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 57.3 | $2.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 51.3 | $915K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 40.4 | $7.9M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 38.4 | $933 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 28.0 | $192K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 23.7 | $131K |
| Drought | Very Low | 23.4 | $14K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 6.9 | $11K |
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 | 424 | 0 | $195M | 14th of 53 | 1575th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 302 | 1 | $13M | 7th of 53 | 2310th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 112 | 0 | $34M | 46th of 53 | 2161st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 63 | 0 | $187K | 31st of 53 | 1305th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 2 | $8.6M | 23rd of 53 | 1997th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 1 | – | 50th of 53 | 1480th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 22 | 0 | $19M | 28th of 53 | 2710th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 10 | 0 | – | 50th of 53 | 2195th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 28th of 53 | 2219th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $76K | 28th of 53 | 2234th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 48th of 53 | 2447th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 17th of 53 | 1232nd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Morton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.