Natural disaster risk in Ransom County, North Dakota
North Dakota · population 5,692 · FIPS 38073
Overall: very low risk
Ransom County has a composite risk score of 13.2 out of 100 — higher than 13% of US counties. It ranks 26 of 53 in North Dakota (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are ice storm, winter weather, cold wave.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 7 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 92% of Ransom County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 7 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Ransom County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Very low 13.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $6.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 19.5 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 22 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 96.2 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Ransom County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 75 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 67 |
| Hail | Relatively low 64 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 48 |
| Wildfire | Very low 59 |
| Landslide | Very low 47 |
| Tornado | Very low 24 |
| Drought | Very low 18 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 14 |
| Heat wave | Very low 13 |
| Lightning | Very low 3 |
| Earthquake | Very low 2 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Ransom County
Federal declarations that designated Ransom County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Ransom County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4888-ND (Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds), declared 11 Sep 2025.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4888-ND | Major disaster | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 11 Sep 2025 | No |
| DR-4760-ND | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds | 15 Feb 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in North Dakota, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in Ransom County, North Dakota?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Ransom County as very low, with a score of 13.2 out of 100 (higher than 13% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Ransom County?
The hazards rated highest for Ransom County are ice storm (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Ransom County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Ransom County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Ransom County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Ransom County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4888-ND (Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds), declared 11 Sep 2025.
Is Ransom County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 92% of Ransom County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 7 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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