Strong Wind Risk in North Dakota
All North Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index strong wind score
Strong Wind risk — damaging straight-line winds outside of tornadoes and hurricanes — is rated for 53 of 53 North Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Cass County carries the state's highest strong wind score at 98.3, with $10M in expected annual strong wind losses.
1 North Dakota county is rated High or Very High for strong wind, and expected annual losses from strong wind total roughly $35M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Strong Wind
| # | County | Strong Wind Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County | Very High | 2.54 / yr | $10M | |
| 2 | Grand Forks County | Medium | 2.19 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Steele County | Medium | 2.38 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Barnes County | Medium | 2.00 / yr | $924K | |
| 5 | McLean County | Medium | 1.31 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Benson County | Medium | 1.24 / yr | $581K | |
| 7 | Foster County | Medium | 1.57 / yr | $920K | |
| 8 | Burleigh County | Medium | 1.52 / yr | $1M | |
| 9 | Stutsman County | Medium | 1.49 / yr | $924K | |
| 10 | Sioux County | Medium | 1.97 / yr | $436K | |
| 11 | Ramsey County | Medium | 1.57 / yr | $970K | |
| 12 | Ward County | Medium | 0.91 / yr | $1M | |
| 13 | LaMoure County | Medium | 1.75 / yr | $812K | |
| 14 | Sargent County | Medium | 2.69 / yr | $997K | |
| 15 | Griggs County | Medium | 2.02 / yr | $624K | |
| 16 | Stark County | Medium | 1.42 / yr | $758K | |
| 17 | Morton County | Low | 1.74 / yr | $915K | |
| 18 | McKenzie County | Low | 1.33 / yr | $778K | |
| 19 | Richland County | Low | 2.68 / yr | $601K | |
| 20 | Ransom County | Low | 2.33 / yr | $622K | |
| 21 | Dickey County | Low | 2.23 / yr | $501K | |
| 22 | Cavalier County | Low | 1.03 / yr | $382K | |
| 23 | Williams County | Low | 1.07 / yr | $600K | |
| 24 | Rolette County | Low | 0.73 / yr | $257K | |
| 25 | McIntosh County | Low | 2.11 / yr | $267K | |
| 26 | Walsh County | Low | 1.91 / yr | $485K | |
| 27 | Bottineau County | Low | 0.59 / yr | $358K | |
| 28 | Traill County | Low | 2.47 / yr | $534K | |
| 29 | Logan County | Low | 1.64 / yr | $263K | |
| 30 | Emmons County | Low | 1.81 / yr | $261K | |
| 31 | Pembina County | Low | 1.29 / yr | $240K | |
| 32 | Nelson County | Low | 2.06 / yr | $203K | |
| 33 | Kidder County | Low | 1.42 / yr | $333K | |
| 34 | Mountrail County | Low | 0.96 / yr | $238K | |
| 35 | Hettinger County | Low | 1.69 / yr | $201K | |
| 36 | Grant County | Low | 1.91 / yr | $173K | |
| 37 | Golden Valley County | Low | 1.41 / yr | $172K | |
| 38 | Mercer County | Low | 1.52 / yr | $269K | |
| 39 | Dunn County | Low | 1.30 / yr | $152K | |
| 40 | McHenry County | Low | 0.96 / yr | $217K | |
| 41 | Pierce County | Very Low | 1.07 / yr | $197K | |
| 42 | Wells County | Very Low | 1.27 / yr | $139K | |
| 43 | Bowman County | Very Low | 1.52 / yr | $145K | |
| 44 | Eddy County | Very Low | 1.54 / yr | $152K | |
| 45 | Divide County | Very Low | 0.75 / yr | $80K | |
| 46 | Adams County | Very Low | 1.78 / yr | $74K | |
| 47 | Sheridan County | Very Low | 1.35 / yr | $133K | |
| 48 | Billings County | Very Low | 1.33 / yr | $122K | |
| 49 | Slope County | Very Low | 1.51 / yr | $70K | |
| 50 | Towner County | Very Low | 0.96 / yr | $72K | |
| 51 | Renville County | Very Low | 0.58 / yr | $65K | |
| 52 | Oliver County | Very Low | 1.62 / yr | $64K | |
| 53 | Burke County | Very Low | 0.57 / yr | $59K |
53 North Dakota counties with measurable strong wind risk. See the national strong wind ranking or all North Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which North Dakota county has the highest strong wind risk?
Cass County has the highest FEMA strong wind risk score in North Dakota at 98.3 (Very High), with $10M in expected annual losses and about 2.54 events per year.
How many North Dakota counties face significant strong wind risk?
53 North Dakota counties record measurable strong wind risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 1 of them are rated High or Very High.