Safest places to live in North Dakota from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in North Dakota is in Adams County, Billings County, Bowman County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Burleigh County, driven by tornado. This page ranks every North Dakota county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in North Dakota
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | Low | none rated high |
| Billings County | Low | none rated high |
| Bowman County | Low | none rated high |
| Burke County | Low | none rated high |
| Cavalier County | Low | none rated high |
| Dickey County | Low | none rated high |
| Divide County | Low | none rated high |
| Dunn County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in North Dakota
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Burleigh County | Moderate | tornado |
| Cass County | Moderate | tornado |
| Grand Forks County | Moderate | none rated high |
| Stark County | Moderate | none rated high |
| Ward County | Moderate | tornado |
Dominant perils in North Dakota
Across North Dakota, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are no severe perils rated high in most counties. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any North Dakota address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.