Cass County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Cass County has experienced 35 federally declared disasters since 1965, 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.
Cass County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, strong wind, and hail, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 22% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (25th 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. Cass County has been designated in 35 declarations since 1965, covering 5 disaster types including flood (22), severe storm (9), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 35 total declarations since 1965.
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 | Very Low | 50.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.6 | 18 | 0 | $4.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | 15 | 3 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.8 | 104 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 63.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 20.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 33.8 | 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
Cass County ranks in the 25th percentile (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 | 25th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 15th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 6th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 46th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 75th | 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 | 30th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 31st | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 19.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 139 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 78 in 2016–20 vs 61 in 2021–25 (-22% — frequency decreasing).
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 Cass County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Cass County, North Dakota are winter weather, strong wind, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Cass County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Cass County has received 35 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (22 declarations).
Has Cass County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Cass County include Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds (2025), Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Cass County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Clay County, MN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Steele County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Cass County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Cass County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Cass 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. Cass County's composite score of 82 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 82% of US counties.