Burleigh County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Burleigh County has experienced 22 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Burleigh County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, hail, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 31% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (20th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Burleigh County has been designated in 22 declarations since 1969, covering 5 disaster types including flood (11), severe storm (7), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 22 total declarations since 1969.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.4 | 6 | 0 | $8.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 20.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 53 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 83 | 12 | 0 | $105K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 99.1 | 94 | 0 | $65.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 95.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.8 | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 31.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Burleigh County ranks in the 20th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 20th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 4th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 16th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 39th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 77th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 42nd | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 46th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 38.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 113 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 49 in 2016–20 vs 64 in 2021–25 (+31% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Burleigh County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Burleigh County, North Dakota are winter weather, hail, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Burleigh County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Burleigh County has received 22 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (11 declarations).
Has Burleigh County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Burleigh County include Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Burleigh County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Morton County, ND has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Oliver County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Burleigh County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Burleigh County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Burleigh County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Burleigh County's composite score of 85 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 85% of US counties.