Natural hazards · West Ontario

West Ontario, ND natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Ontario comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1995.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Ontario?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Ontario to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves57%Inland flooding15%Hail9%Tornadoes6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What West Ontario faces

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

Cold waves

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

15% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

Ice 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 West Ontario flood?

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

2paid claims since 1995

$81Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

Disasters that hit West Ontario

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Wells County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Ontario itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into West OntarioDeclared for Wells County only

Wells County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around West Ontario

West Ontario and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Ontariomostly cold wavesLow

South Cottonwoodmostly cold wavesLow

St. Annamostly cold wavesLow

Delgermostly cold wavesLow

Haalandmostly cold wavesLow

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. West Ontario covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Ontario’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Ontario. 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 West Ontario total about $3.2M 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.