Natural hazards · Alsen

Alsen, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alsen comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Alsen?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alsen to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves.

Cold waves52%Inland flooding14%Hail14%Strong wind9%Ice storms5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Alsen faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Cold waves

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 24 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Alsen flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Alsen.

Disasters that hit Alsen

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Alsen itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Alsen.

Brought FEMA money into AlsenDeclared for Cavalier County only

2022

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$14K to the City of Alsen for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$24K to the City of Alsen for repairs

Cavalier County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Alsen

Alsen and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alsenmostly cold wavesVery low

Storliemostly cold wavesVery low

Bannermostly cold wavesVery low

Gordonmostly cold wavesVery low

Hendersonmostly cold wavesVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Alsen is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alsen’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alsen. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.