Natural hazards · Forest River

Forest River, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Forest River?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest River to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves26%Tornadoes10%Hail9%Ice storms6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Forest River faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

Winter weatherHeat 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 Forest River flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$1Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $354

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Forest River isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Walsh County.

Disasters that hit Forest River

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Forest RiverDeclared for Walsh County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$5K to the City of Forest River for repairs

Walsh County has had 34 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. Forest River 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 Forest River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Forest River. 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.