Kidder County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Kidder County has experienced 26 federally declared disasters since 1976, 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.
Kidder County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, hail, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 41% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (3rd 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. Kidder County has been designated in 26 declarations since 1976, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (12), 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 |
| 2023 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 26 total declarations since 1976.
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 | 45.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 3.1 | 1 | 0 | $350K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 0.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17 | 4 | 0 | $1.4M |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 55.5 | 41 | 0 | $50K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 25.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 60.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 48.1 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 25.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 5.6 | 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
Kidder County ranks in the 3rd 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 | 3rd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 10th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 8th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 24th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 3rd | 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 | 34th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 37th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 76.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 46 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 29 in 2016–20 vs 17 in 2021–25 (-41% — 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 Kidder County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Kidder County, North Dakota are winter weather, hail, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Kidder County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Kidder County has received 26 federal disaster declarations since 1976, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (12 declarations).
Has Kidder County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Kidder 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 1976.
How does Kidder County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Burleigh County, ND has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Sheridan County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Kidder County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Kidder County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Kidder 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. Kidder County's composite score of 3 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 3% of US counties.