Natural hazards · Fargo

Fargo, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fargo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,136 claims here since 1978. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fargo?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fargo to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding48%Tornadoes16%Cold waves11%Strong wind8%Hail6%Winter weather5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Fargo faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Winter weather

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 24 times 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 Fargo flood?

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

1,136paid claims since 1978

$8.7Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 38 claims, $227K
Winter storm: 38 claims, $70K
Severe flooding: 12 claims, $16K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Fargo is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Cass County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

254flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

6buildings floodproofed

2flood-prone homes bought out and moved

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Fargo

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FargoDeclared for Cass County only

2023

Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds

$142K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2020

Flooding

$373K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2019

Flooding

$892K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2013

Flooding

$2.5M to the City of Fargo for repairs

2011

Flooding

$5.6M to the City of Fargo for repairs

2010

Flooding

$2.3M to the City of Fargo for repairs

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

692 households applied for aid $777K aid approved $9.7M to the City of Fargo for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$194K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$570K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$608K to the City of Fargo for repairs

2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation

$607K to the City of Fargo for repairs

1999

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

$116K to the City of Fargo for repairs

Cass County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Fargo

Fargo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Oakportmostly inland floodingVery high

Moorheadmostly inland floodingVery high

Kurtzmostly inland floodingVery high

Frontiermostly inland floodingHigh

Moorheadmostly inland floodingHigh

Pleasantmostly inland floodingHigh

Reedmostly inland floodingHigh

Harwoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Fargomostly inland floodingModerate

Stanleymostly inland floodingModerate

Briarwoodmostly inland floodingModerate

Horacemostly inland floodingModerate

West Fargomostly inland floodingLow

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. Fargo covers 29 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fargo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fargo. 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 Fargo total about $46.8M 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.