Natural hazards · Dickinson

Dickinson, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dickinson comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dickinson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dickinson to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves40%Inland flooding17%Tornadoes11%Hail10%Winter weather9%Strong wind6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Dickinson faces

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

Cold waves

40% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Winter weather

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsHeat 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 Dickinson flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$36Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Dickinson is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Stark County.

Disasters that hit Dickinson

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DickinsonDeclared for Stark County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

474 households applied for aid $150K aid approved $40K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storm and Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$189K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$23K to the City of Dickinson for repairs

Stark County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Dickinson covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dickinson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dickinson. 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 Dickinson total about $7.7M 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.