North Dakota heat wave risk
Cass County has the highest heat wave risk in North Dakota, scoring 57.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County | 57.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 2 | Burleigh County | 53 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Grand Forks County | 37.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 4 | Ward County | 29.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 5 | Morton County | 28 | Very Low | 0 |
| 6 | Stutsman County | 23.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 7 | Richland County | 23.6 | Very Low | 2 |
| 8 | Stark County | 23.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 9 | Williams County | 20.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 10 | McKenzie County | 19.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 11 | Barnes County | 19.1 | Very Low | 2 |
| 12 | Sioux County | 16.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 13 | McLean County | 15.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 14 | Slope County | 14.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 15 | Dickey County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 16 | Mercer County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Mountrail County | 13.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Ransom County | 13.2 | Very Low | 2 |
| 19 | Rolette County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Walsh County | 12.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 21 | Emmons County | 12.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Pembina County | 11.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 23 | Benson County | 11.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | LaMoure County | 11.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Ramsey County | 11.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | McIntosh County | 10.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Traill County | 10.4 | Very Low | 2 |
| 28 | Grant County | 10.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Sargent County | 10.2 | Very Low | 2 |
| 30 | Golden Valley County | 9.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Wells County | 9.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Dunn County | 8.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Adams County | 8.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Foster County | 8.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Hettinger County | 8.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Logan County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Nelson County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | McHenry County | 7.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Bottineau County | 7.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Bowman County | 6.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Kidder County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Griggs County | 6.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 43 | Divide County | 6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Pierce County | 5.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Cavalier County | 5.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Oliver County | 5.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Steele County | 5 | Very Low | 2 |
| 48 | Sheridan County | 4.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Eddy County | 4.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Towner County | 3.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Renville County | 3.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Burke County | 3.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Billings County | 3.2 | 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.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in North Dakota:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in North Dakota?
Cass County, ND has the highest heat wave risk in North Dakota, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 57.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes heat wave risk in North Dakota?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.