Ward County flood history
North Dakota · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 1,107 flood insurance claims in Ward County, North Dakota since 1978. The NFIP paid $69.5 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2011, with 640, mostly from Late spring storms.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 13 claims, and the average paid claim was $12,620.
61% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 4.5% of homes in Ward County, North Dakota had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (1,030 of 23,080 residential buildings).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 10 flood-related disaster declarations covering Ward County, North Dakota. The most recent was DR-4660-ND (Severe Winter Storm and Flooding), declared July 13, 2022.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | $2,252 |
| 2023 | 4 | $55,615 |
| 2022 | 1 | $2,133 |
| 2021 | 3 | $9,794 |
| 2020 | 2 | $31,166 |
| 2019 | 1 | $0 |
| 2018 | 1 | $0 |
| 2015 | 5 | $12,659 |
| 2014 | 11 | $293,128 |
| 2013 | 23 | $289,208 |
| 2012 | 22 | $493,671 |
| 2011 | 640 | $66.9 million |
| 2010 | 15 | $182,085 |
| 2009 | 29 | $162,527 |
| 2005 | 1 | $1,910 |
| 2004 | 1 | $1,252 |
| 1999 | 3 | $0 |
| 1998 | 1 | $8,378 |
| 1997 | 30 | $235,431 |
| 1996 | 4 | $15,587 |
| 1995 | 1 | $0 |
| 1994 | 1 | $0 |
| 1992 | 1 | $0 |
| 1990 | 1 | $0 |
| 1989 | 5 | $19,319 |
| 1987 | 44 | $57,823 |
| 1986 | 1 | $2,294 |
| 1984 | 1 | $0 |
| 1983 | 8 | $6,680 |
| 1982 | 17 | $7,155 |
| 1981 | 14 | $3,161 |
| 1980 | 2 | $0 |
| 1979 | 210 | $726,021 |
| 1978 | 3 | $3,382 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late spring storms | 2011 | 573 | $62.8 million |
| Not a named storm | 1979 | 106 | $548,660 |
| Late spring storms | 2012 | 22 | $493,671 |
| Late spring storms | 2013 | 19 | $284,954 |
| Flooding | 1997 | 29 | $226,768 |
| Winter storm | 2009 | 4 | $9,949 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 1,030 residential NFIP policies in Ward County, against 23,080 residential buildings (4.5%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4660-ND | Jul 13, 2022 | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | No |
| DR-4190-ND | Aug 19, 2014 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-4128-ND | Jul 12, 2013 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1981-ND | May 10, 2011 | Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3318-ND | Apr 7, 2011 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1907-ND | Apr 30, 2010 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1829-ND | Mar 24, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1597-ND | Jul 22, 2005 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation | No |
| DR-1515-ND | May 5, 2004 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation | No |
| DR-1334-ND | Jun 27, 2000 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation | Yes |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of North Dakota.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.