Natural disaster risk in North Dakota, by county
All 53 counties in North Dakota, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Burleigh County (relatively moderate, score 85.1). Lowest: Slope County (very low, score 0.6).
Top hazards in North Dakota
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Winter weather | 20 of 53 | 76.3 |
| Ice storm | 9 of 53 | 65.2 |
| Cold wave | 5 of 53 | 67.2 |
| Hail | 3 of 53 | 65.9 |
| Strong wind | 1 of 53 | 37.9 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burleigh County | Relatively moderate 85.1 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 2 | Cass County | Relatively moderate 82.4 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 3 | Ward County | Relatively low 64.8 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 4 | Sioux County | Relatively low 62.1 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 5 | Grand Forks County | Relatively low 57.7 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 6 | Williams County | Relatively low 53.7 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 7 | Rolette County | Relatively low 52.9 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 8 | Morton County | Relatively low 49.6 | Hail (relatively high) |
| 9 | Stutsman County | Relatively low 46.4 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 10 | Barnes County | Relatively low 45.9 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 11 | Emmons County | Relatively low 44.3 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 12 | McLean County | Relatively low 43.1 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 13 | Stark County | Very low 37.3 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 14 | Richland County | Very low 35.3 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 15 | McIntosh County | Very low 35.2 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 16 | Walsh County | Very low 29 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 17 | McKenzie County | Very low 25 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 18 | Benson County | Very low 24.3 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 19 | Mountrail County | Very low 21.4 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 20 | Pembina County | Very low 20.9 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 21 | Bottineau County | Very low 18.7 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 22 | Ramsey County | Very low 18.3 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 23 | Dickey County | Very low 15.8 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 24 | Grant County | Very low 14.8 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 25 | Mercer County | Very low 13.9 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Ransom County | Very low 13.2 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 27 | Golden Valley County | Very low 13.1 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 28 | Cavalier County | Very low 11.8 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | McHenry County | Very low 11.7 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 30 | Traill County | Very low 11 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 31 | LaMoure County | Very low 10.9 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 32 | Dunn County | Very low 10.8 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | Logan County | Very low 9.9 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 34 | Hettinger County | Very low 9.2 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 35 | Wells County | Very low 8.6 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 36 | Nelson County | Very low 7.9 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Foster County | Very low 7.4 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Sargent County | Very low 7.4 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 39 | Steele County | Very low 6.6 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 40 | Divide County | Very low 5.8 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 41 | Griggs County | Very low 5.1 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 42 | Sheridan County | Very low 5 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Adams County | Very low 4.5 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 44 | Pierce County | Very low 3.2 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 45 | Kidder County | Very low 3.1 | Winter weather (relatively low) |
| 46 | Bowman County | Very low 2.1 | Winter weather (relatively low) |
| 47 | Towner County | Very low 2 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 48 | Eddy County | Very low 1.8 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 49 | Oliver County | Very low 1.7 | Winter weather (relatively low) |
| 50 | Renville County | Very low 1.5 | Winter weather (relatively low) |
| 51 | Burke County | Very low 1 | Winter weather (relatively low) |
| 52 | Billings County | Very low 0.9 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 53 | Slope County | Very low 0.6 | Cold wave (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in North Dakota has the highest natural disaster risk?
Burleigh County has the highest composite risk score in North Dakota in FEMA's National Risk Index: 85.1, rated relatively moderate.
Which county in North Dakota has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Slope County has the lowest composite risk score in North Dakota: 0.6, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is North Dakota most at risk from?
Across North Dakota, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are winter weather, ice storm, cold wave, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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