North Dakota earthquake risk
Cass County has the highest earthquake risk in North Dakota, scoring 24.1 out of 100 — rated "Very Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County | 24.1 | Very Low |
| 2 | Hettinger County | 22.4 | Very Low |
| 3 | Burleigh County | 20.1 | Very Low |
| 4 | Williams County | 18.2 | Very Low |
| 5 | Emmons County | 17.3 | Very Low |
| 6 | Stark County | 16.8 | Very Low |
| 7 | Rolette County | 15.2 | Very Low |
| 8 | McLean County | 15 | Very Low |
| 9 | Richland County | 14.7 | Very Low |
| 10 | Grand Forks County | 13 | Very Low |
| 11 | Divide County | 12.9 | Very Low |
| 12 | Bottineau County | 12.4 | Very Low |
| 13 | Ward County | 12.4 | Very Low |
| 14 | Stutsman County | 12.3 | Very Low |
| 15 | McHenry County | 11 | Very Low |
| 16 | McKenzie County | 7.8 | Very Low |
| 17 | Bowman County | 7.7 | Very Low |
| 18 | Dickey County | 7.3 | Very Low |
| 19 | Morton County | 6.9 | Very Low |
| 20 | Walsh County | 6.6 | Very Low |
| 21 | McIntosh County | 6.2 | Very Low |
| 22 | Mountrail County | 5.9 | Very Low |
| 23 | Ramsey County | 5.9 | Very Low |
| 24 | Sheridan County | 5.6 | Very Low |
| 25 | Sioux County | 5.4 | Very Low |
| 26 | Barnes County | 5.2 | Very Low |
| 27 | Adams County | 4.7 | Very Low |
| 28 | Mercer County | 4.3 | Very Low |
| 29 | Golden Valley County | 4.2 | Very Low |
| 30 | Traill County | 3.9 | Very Low |
| 31 | Grant County | 3.8 | Very Low |
| 32 | Dunn County | 3.4 | Very Low |
| 33 | LaMoure County | 2.9 | Very Low |
| 34 | Ransom County | 2.6 | Very Low |
| 35 | Benson County | 2.3 | Very Low |
| 36 | Pembina County | 2.3 | Very Low |
| 37 | Sargent County | 2.2 | Very Low |
| 38 | Wells County | 2.1 | Very Low |
| 39 | Logan County | 2 | Very Low |
| 40 | Cavalier County | 1.9 | Very Low |
| 41 | Billings County | 1.8 | Very Low |
| 42 | Nelson County | 1.6 | Very Low |
| 43 | Pierce County | 1.5 | Very Low |
| 44 | Foster County | 1.4 | Very Low |
| 45 | Renville County | 1.4 | Very Low |
| 46 | Eddy County | 1.2 | Very Low |
| 47 | Burke County | 0.9 | Very Low |
| 48 | Kidder County | 0.8 | Very Low |
| 49 | Steele County | 0.8 | Very Low |
| 50 | Griggs County | 0.6 | Very Low |
| 51 | Slope County | 0.6 | Very Low |
| 52 | Oliver County | 0.4 | Very Low |
| 53 | Towner County | 0.4 | Very Low |
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.
Earthquake risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in North Dakota:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest earthquake risk county in North Dakota?
Cass County, ND has the highest earthquake risk in North Dakota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 24.1 out of 100 (rated "Very Low").
What causes earthquake risk in North Dakota?
Earthquake risk reflects expected annual losses from ground shaking. High scores concentrate in California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (spanning Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and neighboring states). NOAA's Storm Events Database does not track earthquakes, so recorded event counts are not shown.