FEMA NRI 1.19.0Updated Nov 2023 · Coverage 2014–2023Methodology

North Dakota Disaster Risk

Natural disaster risk data for all 53 counties.

Avg FEMA Rating

Very Low

Avg Percentile

22th

Counties with Data

of 53 total

County risk atlas

North Dakota hazard exposure by county

A compact 2.5D surface of FEMA National Risk Index percentiles. Toggle composite, flood, wildfire, hurricane, tornado, and earthquake risk to see which counties carry the highest relative exposure without loading the full national explorer dataset.

Counties

53/53

Avg composite

22th

Risk layers

Highest Risk Counties

Burleigh County

Relatively Moderate

85th percentile

Cass County

Relatively Moderate

82th percentile

Ward County

Relatively Low

65th percentile

Sioux County

Relatively Low

62th percentile

Grand Forks County

Relatively Low

58th percentile

Lowest Risk Counties

Slope County

Very Low

1th percentile

Billings County

Very Low

1th percentile

Burke County

Very Low

1th percentile

Renville County

Very Low

2th percentile

Oliver County

Very Low

2th percentile

All North Dakota Counties

County	Percentile	FEMA Rating	Flood	Wildfire	Tornado	Earthquake
Burleigh County	85th	Relatively Moderate	77.4	84.1	83.0	20.1
Cass County	82th	Relatively Moderate	80.6	50.5	89.7	24.1
Ward County	65th	Relatively Low	41.9	79.4	66.1	12.4
Sioux County	62th	Relatively Low	10.0	80.5	25.0	5.4
Grand Forks County	58th	Relatively Low	61.7	55.3	60.7	13.0
Williams County	54th	Relatively Low	42.9	77.4	53.1	18.2
Rolette County	53th	Relatively Low	21.6	96.4	31.1	15.2
Morton County	50th	Relatively Low	40.4	73.9	57.3	6.9
Stutsman County	46th	Relatively Low	26.9	66.9	47.1	12.3
Barnes County	46th	Relatively Low	41.3	65.4	41.8	5.2
Emmons County	44th	Relatively Low	30.9	93.2	40.5	17.3
McLean County	43th	Relatively Low	33.1	77.0	45.5	15.0
Stark County	37th	Very Low	22.3	54.8	47.9	16.8
Richland County	35th	Very Low	29.5	54.0	49.6	14.7
McIntosh County	35th	Very Low	10.8	70.8	25.6	6.2
Walsh County	29th	Very Low	35.4	79.2	40.3	6.6
McKenzie County	25th	Very Low	15.3	77.4	33.1	7.8
Benson County	24th	Very Low	6.7	80.1	20.9	2.3
Mountrail County	21th	Very Low	11.9	78.8	32.5	5.9
Pembina County	21th	Very Low	28.7	63.9	21.3	2.3
Bottineau County	19th	Very Low	11.6	85.0	26.0	12.4
Ramsey County	18th	Very Low	10.0	79.9	27.2	5.9
Dickey County	16th	Very Low	6.5	56.0	24.8	7.3
Grant County	15th	Very Low	6.7	65.4	17.4	3.8
Mercer County	14th	Very Low	16.4	61.6	28.5	4.3
Ransom County	13th	Very Low	14.3	59.8	24.1	2.6
Golden Valley County	13th	Very Low	3.1	49.2	13.2	4.2
Cavalier County	12th	Very Low	6.8	52.8	16.9	1.9
McHenry County	12th	Very Low	8.1	87.4	27.6	11.0
Traill County	11th	Very Low	12.7	23.3	30.0	3.9
LaMoure County	11th	Very Low	5.5	38.1	20.0	2.9
Dunn County	11th	Very Low	10.1	83.9	24.0	3.4
Logan County	10th	Very Low	5.9	55.3	18.1	2.0
Hettinger County	9th	Very Low	9.7	55.4	25.4	22.4
Wells County	9th	Very Low	4.9	51.4	22.7	2.1
Nelson County	8th	Very Low	4.3	67.8	21.5	1.6
Sargent County	7th	Very Low	2.7	41.3	16.9	2.2
Foster County	7th	Very Low	3.2	48.4	18.3	1.4
Steele County	7th	Very Low	2.3	17.0	16.8	0.8
Divide County	6th	Very Low	6.1	59.1	20.0	12.9
Griggs County	5th	Very Low	1.7	49.1	16.3	0.6
Sheridan County	5th	Very Low	4.1	63.3	22.4	5.6
Adams County	5th	Very Low	2.5	48.0	12.3	4.7
Pierce County	3th	Very Low	2.5	56.5	15.6	1.5
Kidder County	3th	Very Low	3.1	45.8	17.0	0.8
Bowman County	2th	Very Low	2.4	56.7	11.5	7.7
Towner County	2th	Very Low	1.1	56.8	7.8	0.4
Eddy County	2th	Very Low	1.4	63.0	14.2	1.2
Oliver County	2th	Very Low	6.5	44.5	11.7	0.4
Renville County	2th	Very Low	1.7	37.3	10.5	1.4
Burke County	1th	Very Low	1.7	46.9	9.5	0.9
Billings County	1th	Very Low	3.0	65.3	8.5	1.8
Slope County	1th	Very Low	0.6	38.0	5.5	0.6

Frequently Asked Questions

Which county in North Dakota has the highest natural disaster risk?

Burleigh County has the highest natural disaster risk in North Dakota, rated Relatively Moderate (85th percentile nationally), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.

Which county in North Dakota is the safest from natural disasters?

Slope County has the lowest natural disaster risk in North Dakota, rated Very Low (1th percentile nationally), based on FEMA NRI data.

What natural disasters are most common in North Dakota?

North Dakota counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.

How is natural disaster risk measured by county?

The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

Prepare your household for natural disasters

FEMA's Ready.gov provides county-specific preparedness checklists and emergency planning guides.

FEMA Ready Guide →

Data Source

Risk data sourced from the FEMA National Risk Index (NRI). Risk scores are relative rankings (0–100) across all US counties — not absolute risk measures. Higher scores indicate higher relative risk compared to other counties.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not financial, insurance, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making insurance or real estate decisions.

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