Natural hazards · Mekinock

Mekinock, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mekinock comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mekinock?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mekinock to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes15%Hail11%Ice storms9%Winter weather9%Strong wind8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Mekinock faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Winter weather

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 24 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Heat 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 Mekinock flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979

$89Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $39K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Grand Forks County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Mekinock

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MekinockDeclared for Grand Forks County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

Grand Forks County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Mekinock

Mekinock and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gilbymostly inland floodingHigh

Bloomingmostly inland floodingHigh

Lakevillemostly inland floodingHigh

Hegtonmostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Mekinockmostly inland floodingVery low

Grand Forks AFBmostly inland floodingVery 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. Mekinock covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mekinock’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Mekinock. 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 Mekinock total about $640K 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.