Walsh County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Walsh County's overall risk Very Low (score 29.0 of 100, higher than 28% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,059 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 | 90.4 | $529K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.0 | $661K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.7 | $947K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | $2.4M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.2 | $477K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40.3 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $485K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 35.4 | $5.3M |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.2 | $29K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 28.4 | $342 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 13.1 | $59K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.7 | $35K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 6.6 | $8K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 282 | 1 | $23M | 11th of 53 | 1160th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 235 | 0 | $2.7M | 21st of 53 | 1819th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 170 | 0 | $16K | 11th of 53 | 287th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 167 | 0 | $5.6M | 21st of 53 | 2460th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 56 | 1 | $30M | 12th of 53 | 1879th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 0 | $1.5M | 11th of 53 | 1660th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 52 | 0 | – | 44th of 53 | 1556th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 22 | 0 | – | 30th of 53 | 2058th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 19th of 53 | 2247th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 23rd of 53 | 2068th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $13K | 21st of 53 | 2056th 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 Walsh County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.