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Natural hazards · Grafton

Grafton, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Grafton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 236 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Grafton?

71
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Grafton to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes7%Cold waves7%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Grafton faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places
Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter 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 Grafton flood?

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

236paid claims since 1978
$799Kpaid to owners
9homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 140 claims, $438K
  • Late spring storms: 13 claims, $81K
  • Winter storm: 3 claims, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Grafton 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

53flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Grafton

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GraftonDeclared for Walsh County only
2017

Flooding

$60K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2013

Flooding

$372K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2011

Flooding

$22K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2010

Flooding

$80K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $25K aid approved $253K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$3K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation

$284K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2001

Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation

$20K to the City of Grafton for repairs
2000

Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation

$8K to the City of Grafton for repairs
Walsh County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Grafton

Grafton and the towns around it

Oakwood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGrafton: High, mostly inland floodingActon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMartin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHarriston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFarmington: Low, mostly inland floodingFertile: Low, mostly inland floodingGrafton: High, mostly inland flooding GraftonOakwoodGrafton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Graftonmostly inland floodingHigh
Graftonmostly inland floodingHigh
Oakwoodmostly inland floodingModerate
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. Grafton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Grafton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Grafton. 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 Grafton total about $752K 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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