Natural hazards · Valley

Valley, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 59 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 Valley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Valley to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding45%Cold waves35%Tornadoes6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

35% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 20 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

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 Valley flood?

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

59paid claims since 1979

$320Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 18 claims, $34K
Midwest Flooding: 15 claims, $54K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Barnes County.

Disasters that hit Valley

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ValleyDeclared for Barnes County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

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

Around Valley

Valley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Altamostly cold wavesModerate

Marshmostly cold wavesModerate

Getchellmostly cold wavesModerate

Hobartmostly cold wavesModerate

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. Valley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Valley’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Valley. 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 Valley total about $3.0M 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.