Traill County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Traill County has experienced 36 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Traill County's highest-rated hazards are hail, ice storm, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 66% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (7th 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. Traill County has been designated in 36 declarations since 1965, covering 5 disaster types including flood (21), severe storm (11), 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 |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2013 | Flood | Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 36 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 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 12.7 | 5 | 0 | $350K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 3.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 30 | 8 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | 40 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 33.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 50.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 21.4 | 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
Traill County ranks in the 7th 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 | 7th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 3rd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 6th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 27th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 45th | 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 | 28th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 30th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 47.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 55 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 41 in 2016–20 vs 14 in 2021–25 (-66% — 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 Traill County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Traill County, North Dakota are hail, ice storm, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Traill County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Traill County has received 36 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (21 declarations).
Has Traill County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Traill 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 Traill County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Cass County, ND has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Steele County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Traill County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Traill County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Traill 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. Traill County's composite score of 11 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 11% of US counties.