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Natural hazards · Burlington

Burlington, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burlington comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Burlington?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burlington to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves43%Inland flooding27%Tornadoes8%Winter weather6%Hail5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Burlington faces

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

Cold waves

43% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Winter weather

6% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 20 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Burlington flood?

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

22paid claims since 1979
$2.0Mpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring storms: 16 claims, $1.7M
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $7K
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Burlington is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Ward County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Burlington

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurlingtonDeclared for Ward County only
2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$96K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2011

Flooding

342 households applied for aid $3.9M aid approved $1.4M to the City of Burlington for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $20K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storm and Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$4K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$12K to the City of Burlington for repairs
1999

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

$129K to the City of Burlington for repairs
Ward County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Burlington

Burlington and the towns around it

Burlington: Low, mostly cold wavesHarrison: Very low, mostly cold wavesKirkelie: Very low, mostly cold wavesDes Lacs: Low, mostly cold wavesBurt: Low, mostly cold wavesMinot: Very low, mostly cold wavesNedrose: Very low, mostly cold wavesEureka: Very low, mostly cold wavesAfton: Low, mostly cold wavesFoxholm: Very low, mostly cold wavesSt. Marys: Very low, mostly cold wavesBurlington: Low, mostly cold waves BurlingtonBurlingtonHarrisonKirkelie
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Burlingtonmostly cold wavesLow
Burlingtonmostly cold wavesLow
Harrisonmostly cold wavesVery low
Kirkeliemostly 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. Burlington 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 Burlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Burlington. 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.

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