North Dakota drought risk
Williams County has the highest drought risk in North Dakota, scoring 40.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams County | 40.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 2 | Bottineau County | 36.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Emmons County | 35.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 4 | Stutsman County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 5 | Cavalier County | 35 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Benson County | 33.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 7 | Ward County | 33.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Mountrail County | 33 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Wells County | 32.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | McLean County | 32.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Pembina County | 31.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | McIntosh County | 31.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Divide County | 31.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | McKenzie County | 31 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Renville County | 29.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 16 | Rolette County | 29.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Walsh County | 29.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Logan County | 28.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 19 | Stark County | 28.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Dunn County | 27.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Golden Valley County | 27.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Ramsey County | 27.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Nelson County | 27.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Towner County | 27.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Dickey County | 26.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Grand Forks County | 25.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Adams County | 25.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Hettinger County | 25.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Bowman County | 25.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Kidder County | 25.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | McHenry County | 25 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Burke County | 24.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Barnes County | 24.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Foster County | 24.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Burleigh County | 24.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Sheridan County | 24.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Sioux County | 24 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Slope County | 23.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Pierce County | 23.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Morton County | 23.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Eddy County | 22.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Griggs County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Traill County | 21.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Grant County | 21.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | LaMoure County | 21.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Steele County | 21.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Mercer County | 21 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Cass County | 20.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Oliver County | 19 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Billings County | 18.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Ransom County | 18.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Sargent County | 17 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Richland County | 16.2 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in North Dakota:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in North Dakota?
Williams County, ND has the highest drought risk in North Dakota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 40.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes drought risk in North Dakota?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.