Griggs County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Griggs County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Griggs County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, hail, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 50% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (4th 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. Griggs County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1966, covering 4 disaster types including severe storm (11), flood (9), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Ground Saturation |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 total declarations since 1966.
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 | 49.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.6 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16.3 | 5 | 0 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 70.2 | 36 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 54.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 74.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 51.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 22.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 26.8 | 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
Griggs County ranks in the 4th 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 | 4th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 3rd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 15th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 2nd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 20th | Very low |
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 | 45th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 72.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 42 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 28 in 2016–20 vs 14 in 2021–25 (-50% — 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 Griggs County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Griggs County, North Dakota are ice storm, hail, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Griggs County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Griggs County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (11 declarations).
Has Griggs County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Griggs County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2026), Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1966.
How does Griggs County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Stutsman County, ND has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Eddy County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Griggs County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Griggs County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Griggs 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. Griggs County's composite score of 5 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 5% of US counties.