Williams County, ND
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Williams County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Williams County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, cold wave, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 66 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Williams County has been designated in 19 declarations since 1969, covering 7 disaster types including flood (7), severe storm (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Snowstorm | Snow |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 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 | Relatively Low | 77.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 42.9 | 1 | 0 | $800K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 18.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 20.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 53.1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 72.8 | 63 | 0 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 41.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 97.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 36.6 | 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
Williams County ranks in the 51st percentile (Moderate) 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 | 51st | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 23rd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 48th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 58th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 88th | 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 | 50th | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 52nd | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 37.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 66 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 33 in 2016–20 vs 33 in 2021–25 (0% — relatively stable).
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 Williams County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Williams County, North Dakota are winter weather, cold wave, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Williams County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Williams County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (7 declarations).
Has Williams County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Williams County include Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Williams County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Richland County, MT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Burke County, ND has the lowest (Very Low). Williams County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Williams County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Williams 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. Williams County's composite score of 54 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 54% of US counties.