Wells County, North Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wells County's overall risk Very Low (score 8.6 of 100, higher than 8% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 453 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 | 78.8 | $192K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 72.5 | $2.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.0 | $372K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 60.0 | $131K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.2 | $31K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 51.4 | $50K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 24.7 | $183 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.7 | $295K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 16.5 | $139K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 9.2 | $15K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 4.9 | $691K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.1 | $2K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 0.9 | $4K |
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 | 122 | 0 | $4.5M | 38th of 53 | 2226th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 115 | 1 | $6.9M | 30th of 53 | 1685th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 64 | 0 | $1.1M | 49th of 53 | 2662nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 50 | 0 | $199K | 20th of 53 | 1103rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 0 | – | 25th of 53 | 849th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 0 | $3.9M | 30th of 53 | 2075th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 17 | 0 | $5.5M | 21st of 53 | 2618th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | – | 35th of 53 | 2110th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 38th of 53 | 2401st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 34th of 53 | 2307th 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 Wells County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.