Steele County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Steele County's overall risk Very Low (score 6.6 of 100, higher than 6% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 648 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $1.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $796K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.4 | $274K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $87K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $969K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 22.5 | $180 |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.1 | $6K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 17.0 | $7K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16.8 | $216K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 5.0 | $7K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 2.3 | $505K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1.2 | $6K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.8 | $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 | 175 | 0 | $22M | 2nd of 53 | 941st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 164 | 0 | $22M | 1st of 53 | 627th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 0 | $72M | 5th of 53 | 2271st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 83 | 0 | $8K | 3rd of 53 | 130th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 0 | $4.4M | 2nd of 53 | 994th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 28 | 0 | $15M | 13th of 53 | 2036th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | – | 35th of 53 | 1422nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | – | 13th of 53 | 1887th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 1st of 53 | 1821st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 9th of 53 | 1687th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $16K | 23rd of 53 | 2109th 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 Steele County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.