Wells County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Wells County has experienced 29 federally declared disasters since 1969, 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.
Wells County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, cold wave, and hail, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 45 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (24th 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. Wells County has been designated in 29 declarations since 1969, covering 5 disaster types including flood (14), severe storm (11), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2023 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 29 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 | Very Low | 51.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 4.9 | 5 | 0 | $970K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 2.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 9.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.7 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60 | 37 | 0 | $1.9M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 16.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 60 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 72.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 24.7 | 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
Wells County ranks in the 24th 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 | 24th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 15th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 36th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 5th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 62nd | Moderate |
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 | 32nd | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 62.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 45 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 21 in 2016–20 vs 24 in 2021–25 (+14% — 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 Wells County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Wells County, North Dakota are winter weather, cold wave, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Wells County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Wells County has received 29 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (14 declarations).
Has Wells County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Wells County include Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Wells County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Benson County, ND has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Eddy County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Wells County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Wells County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Wells 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. Wells County's composite score of 9 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 9% of US counties.