States › North Dakota › Stark County
Stark County, North Dakota
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 729 storm events in Stark County, North Dakota, led by damaging wind.
That is 54.6 events per 100 square miles, in line with the North Dakota figure of 48.3, and 220.6 per 10,000 residents against 430.4 statewide.
35 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 3 deaths and 8 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $36M and crop damage at $1.3M.
FEMA has designated the county in 16 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Covid-19 Pandemic (major disaster, 1 Apr 2020).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 30 claims since 1978, of which 18 were paid, totalling $92K (about $5K per paid claim). FEMA counts 83 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($14M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with North Dakota and the United States
| Measure | Stark County | North Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 729 | 33,350 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 54.6 | 48.3 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 220.6 | 430.4 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 35 | 1,019 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 3 | 100 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $36M | $5.6B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 17.2 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $5K | $24K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 2.4 | 4.5 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 447 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 173 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 2023 | Dense Fog | Fog | — | $100K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Nov 2023 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | $15K | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Aug 2019 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Jan 1997 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $1.5M | — | — | 4 | Forecast zone |
| 8 Jul 2009 | Tornado | Tornado | EF3 | $20M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $2.0M | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 4 Jan 1997 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $250K | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 19 Jun 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 84 mph | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1999 | Hail | Hail | 3.00 in | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 90 mph | $850K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2009 | Tornado | Tornado | EF1 | $700K | $40K | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2014 | Flood | Flood | — | $550K | $175K | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2025 | Hail | Hail | 2.50 in | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2010 | Hail | Hail | 2.50 in | $200K | $200K | — | — | County |
| 24 Jan 2010 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $385K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jun 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $200K | $150K | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Oct 2005 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $300K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Jul 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 85 mph | $200K | $100K | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 2020 | DR-4509 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3477 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 12 Jul 2013 | DR-4128 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 26 Feb 2010 | DR-1879 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 24 Mar 2009 | DR-1829 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 21 Nov 2005 | DR-1616 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Record And/Or Near Record Snow | Public assistance |
| 13 Sep 2005 | EM-3247 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 22 Jul 2005 | DR-1597 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Ground Saturation | Public assistance |
| 7 Apr 1997 | DR-1174 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Flooding,Severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Jan 1997 | DR-1157 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Blizzard Conditions | Public assistance |
| 26 Jul 1993 | DR-1001 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 17 Apr 1978 | DR-554 | Major disaster | Flood | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Jun 1972 | DR-335 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Jun 1970 | DR-287 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Apr 1969 | DR-256 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Jul 1966 | DR-220 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | $8,709 | $8,709 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | $9,706 | $9,706 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | $6,305 | $6,305 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | $45,629 | $45,629 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | $1,024 | $1,024 |
| 2009 | 4 | 3 | $3,628 | $1,209 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 3 | 3 | $5,118 | $1,706 |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1986 | 1 | 1 | $690 | $690 |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1982 | 2 | 1 | $2,815 | $2,815 |
| 1978 | 6 | 5 | $8,222 | $1,644 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Cold wave | $5,170,744 | |
| Inland flooding | $3,296,471 | |
| Hail | $1,550,930 | |
| Tornado | $1,417,458 | |
| Winter weather | $1,121,226 | |
| Strong wind | $757,959 | |
| Lightning | $517,254 | |
| Ice storm | $396,956 | |
| Heat wave | $102,711 | |
| Wildfire | $76,393 | |
| Earthquake | $25,827 | |
| Drought | $23,314 | |
| Landslide | $103 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Stark County, ND?
NCEI records 223 hail events in Stark County since 1950, in 52 different years; that is about 2.9 recorded events a year. 77 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Stark County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 26 tornadoes in Stark County since 1950, 4 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Stark County?
1 Apr 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic, a major disaster declaration for biological. The county appears in 16 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Stark County, and how much was paid?
30 NFIP claims since 1978, 18 of them paid, for $92K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Stark County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Stark County compare with the rest of North Dakota?
54.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 48.3 statewide, and 0.9 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 17.2. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.