States › North Dakota › Steele County › Flood
Flood in Steele County, North Dakota
28 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
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. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Steele County, North Dakota, has 28 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 11 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 13 events against 15 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.3% of the 1,221 flood events recorded in North Dakota; its 3.9 per 100 square miles compares with 1.8 statewide.
Compared with North Dakota
| Measure | Steele County | North Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 28 | 1,221 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.9 | 1.8 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 154.7 | 15.8 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 16 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | April | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
4Apr
8May
3Jun
7Jul
1Aug
4Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 28 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $250K | $10M | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2011 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2011 | Flood | — | $10K | $20K | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2011 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2011 | Flood | — | $10K | $20K | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2010 | Flood | — | $10K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2009 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 2009 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2006 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2006 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2004 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 27 Mar 2004 | Flood | — | $300K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2000 | Flood | — | — | $1.0M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 May 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Apr 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Apr 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Steele County had?
28 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Steele County?
20 Sep 2019 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Steele County?
The flash flood of 20 Sep 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $250K and crop damage at $10M.
How does Steele County compare with North Dakota for flood?
3.9 events per 100 square miles against 1.8 statewide; the county holds 28 of the state's 1,221 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.