Grand Forks County Disaster Risk

Grand Forks County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 58th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Grand Forks County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (62th percentile), tornado (61th percentile), wildfire (55th percentile), earthquake (13th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 62th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Grand Forks County's composite risk percentile is 58th, compared to the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Grand Forks County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Dakota.

Yes, Grand Forks County's flooding risk is at the 62th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Grand Forks County's composite risk score of 58th percentile is above the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (62th percentile), along with tornado and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.