Natural disaster risk in Richland County, North Dakota
North Dakota · population 16,521 · FIPS 38077
Overall: very low risk
Richland County has a composite risk score of 35.3 out of 100 — higher than 35% of US counties. It ranks 14 of 53 in North Dakota (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, cold wave, hail.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 7 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 82.37% of Richland 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 Richland 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 35.3 |
| Expected annual loss About $12.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 44 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 25.9 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 68.4 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Richland County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively high 92 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 82 |
| Hail | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 61 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 49 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 49 |
| Wildfire | Very low 53 |
| Landslide | Very low 30 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 29 |
| Heat wave | Very low 23 |
| Drought | Very low 16 |
| Earthquake | Very low 14 |
| Lightning | Very low 10 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Richland County
Federal declarations that designated Richland County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Richland County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4760-ND (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds), declared 15 Feb 2024.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Richland County, North Dakota?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Richland County as very low, with a score of 35.3 out of 100 (higher than 35% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Richland County?
The hazards rated highest for Richland County are winter weather (relatively high), cold wave (relatively moderate), hail (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Richland County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Richland County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Richland County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Richland County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4760-ND (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds), declared 15 Feb 2024.
Is Richland County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 82.37% of Richland 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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