Natural hazards · Bismarck

Bismarck, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bismarck comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 357 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bismarck?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bismarck to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding33%Cold waves26%Hail22%Tornadoes8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Bismarck faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Hail

22% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bismarck flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bismarck, from FEMA’s records.

357paid claims since 1978

$7.6Mpaid to owners

26homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late spring storms: 252 claims, $5.5M
Winter storm: 25 claims, $831K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Bismarck is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Burleigh County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Bismarck

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BismarckDeclared for Burleigh County only

2025

Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

$197K to the City of Bismarck for repairs

2011

Flooding

1,076 households applied for aid $3.1M aid approved $15.4M to the City of Bismarck for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

423 households applied for aid $308K aid approved $402K to the City of Bismarck for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$199K to the City of Bismarck for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation

$64K to the City of Bismarck for repairs

1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow, Ice, Ground Saturation, Lanslides, Mudslides, and Tor

$430K to the City of Bismarck for repairs

Burleigh County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Bismarck

Bismarck and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bismarckmostly inland floodingHigh

Gibbsmostly cold wavesHigh

Apple Creekmostly cold wavesHigh

Hay Creekmostly cold wavesHigh

Captain's Landingmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Bismarck covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Bismarck total about $35.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.