7 flood insurance claims·$89,159 paid·16 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Sargent County, North Dakota. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Sargent County experiences a balanced mix of riverine flooding and flash flooding from summer thunderstorms. NOAA records show 23 flood events and 22 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Spring snowmelt and heavy winter precipitation drive river and low-lying area flooding, as occurred in April 2011 following above-normal seasonal snowfall and snow water equivalents of four to six inches in surrounding basins. An April 2019 event similarly demonstrated the flood impact of melting winter snow combined with subsequent spring storms. Flash flooding is driven by severe late-night thunderstorms, such as those that dropped heavy rain across southeast North Dakota in June 2013.
Federal insurance claims data reflect historical payouts across different designated areas. Zone X properties account for 4 claims with an average payout of $43,861 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Properties listed under Zone UNKNOWN recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $718 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents monitoring properties in Zone X and low-lying areas should pay the closest attention to flood risks associated with seasonal snowmelt and severe summer storms.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 4 claims and $87,722 paid, the year of Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
4 NOAA storm reports from Sargent County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Dakota flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 16 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Straight-line Winds | Dec 25, 2023 |
| Flooding | Apr 10, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Straight-line Winds | Nov 9, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Flooding | Apr 1, 2020 |
| Flooding | Oct 9, 2019 |
| Flooding | Mar 21, 2019 |
| Flooding | Feb 14, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
45 since 1996: 22 flash floods and 23 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 8, 2019 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2013 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2013 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2009 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2009 | $5,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 8, 2019. The winter snow melted first on the Minnesota side of the southern Red River Valley. Visible satellite imagery confirmed this fact, showing a distinct snow free north to south band that extended roughly 20 or so miles east of the Red River from Grant to Wilkin to Clay counties. In Fargo, the snow depth fell to zero on April 6th. However, a blizzard from April 10th to 12th brought more snow to the area. This snow f…
Flash Flood · Jun 20, 2013. Several rounds of late night thunderstorms dropped large hail, strong winds, and heavy rain across mainly southeast North Dakota.
Flood · Apr 3, 2011. The winter of 2010-2011 generally brought above normal amounts of snow to the area, but particularly so for the Devils Lake basin, the Sheyenne River basin, and the Wild Rice River basin. By April 1st, snow water equivalents were estimated to be about four to six inches in these areas with about two to four inches elsewhere. A see-saw pattern of temperatures led to a generally slow April snowmelt. At Fargo, the fi…
Flood · Mar 18, 2010. Several unusual factors combined to set off spring flooding in 2010. By early March, roughly 40 to 50 inches of snow had fallen across eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota. From March 7th through 15th, the first order climate stations at Fargo and Grand Forks stayed almost entirely above 32 degrees. Also from March 4th through March 18th, daily average temperatures at the two stations were 6…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Sargent County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.