Enter any address in Grand Forks County, North Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Grand Forks County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 54 flash flood events and 26 flood events. Recent examples include localized street flooding reported on July 4th, 2024, and flash flooding from heavy rainfall on August 29th, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, averaging $31,258 with an average water depth of 6.9 feet. Zone X_SHADED also shows a significant number of claims, with an average payout of $17,936 and an average water depth of 5.6 feet. Homeowners in these zones, as well as those in Zone X_UNSHADED which has seen claims with an average water depth of 10.2 feet, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
20 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Grand Forks County, North Dakota has recorded 80 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 54 flash floods and 26 river or area floods. The county has received 38 federal disaster declarations, 24 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Aug 7, 2025 |
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 10, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2020 |
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 1, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Flooding | Flood | Oct 9, 2019 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 21, 2019 |
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 22, 2013 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Jul 4, 2024 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2023 | 1.00M |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2022 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2021 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2021 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2021 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Mar 31, 2020 | 150.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 4, 2025
Severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening on the Independence Day Federal Holiday resulted in damaging wind gusts across eastern North Dakota and localized street flooding in Fargo, ND.
Flash Flood — Aug 29, 2024
An 850mb jet aided in the development of thunderstorm clusters in the morning hours of August 29th. Wind was the main threat, with some reports of flash flooding from heavy rainfall.
Flood — Jul 4, 2024
Isolated Flash Flooding occurred in Grand Forks county, ND in the evening. The cause was thunderstorms over the area.
Flood — Apr 18, 2023
Spring snowmelt flooding began in mid to late April in most locations, then persisted into early May.
Flood — May 1, 2023
The spring snowmelt flooding began in late April 2023 and persisted into the early portions of May for some locations.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Grand Forks County, North Dakota:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Grand Forks County, North Dakota that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.