1,107 flood insurance claims·$69.4M paid·15 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 Ward 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.
Flash flooding and river flooding from rapid spring snowmelt and heavy summer rains dominate the flood profile of Ward County, ND, accounting for 15 flash flood and 10 flood events over the last 30 years. Notable recent events include a multi-day heavy rain event in June 2014 that dropped 4.50 inches of rain locally and led to a Federal Disaster Declaration, as well as a late-season rapid snowmelt beginning in April 2013 that caused prolonged flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River, resulting in water entering homes in the Project Road area near Burlington and widespread road damage.
Residents and property owners should pay close attention based on historical National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data across different zones. Zone X properties recorded 630 claims with an average payout of $117,945 and an average recorded water depth of 21 inches, while Zone A properties saw 408 claims with an average payout of $11,666 and an average water depth of 7 inches. Additionally, Zone X unshaded properties experienced significant severity with an average payout of $113,563 and an average water depth of 48 inches across 7 claims, and Zone D logged 47 claims averaging $36,640 with an average water depth of 8 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of Ward County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
416 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 17 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 640 claims and $66.9M paid, the year of Flooding and Severe Winter Storm.
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.
12 NOAA storm reports from Ward County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the North Dakota flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 15 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Apr 22, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 25, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 17, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 29, 2011 |
| Flooding | Apr 5, 2011 |
| Flooding | Feb 14, 2011 |
| Flooding | Feb 26, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 13, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
25 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 16, 2023 | $90,000 |
| Flood | Jun 28, 2014 | $618,000 |
| Flood | May 1, 2013 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2013 | $75,000 |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2013 | $350,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2012 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2011 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2011 | $300,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 16, 2023. The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding. In addition, during the morning hours of April 16, a flood death (direct) occurred as a 54 year old female was driving a 2004 Ford Escape along ND Highway 66 near the intersection of 47th Avenue NE, to the northwe…
Flood · Jun 28, 2014. Very heavy rain continued over several days at the end of June. Three to five inches of rain fell from Minot through Sherwood, and from Crosby through Lignite to Stanley. The highest rain amount was seven inches from Renville County. Another high amount was 4.50 inches from Ward County. Damage was extensive. The state of North Dakota requested and was granted a Federal Disaster Declaration as a result of damages f…
Flood · May 1, 2013. A late season rapid snow melt caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River through north central North Dakota. Additionally, there were necessary releases from upstream dams in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada, due to rapid snow melt there. Homes in the Project Road area near Burlington took on water. Many county and township roads near the river were damaged. This flood began in April an…
Flood · Jun 1, 2013. A late season rapid snow melt caused flooding along the Souris (Mouse) River and Des Lacs River through north central North Dakota. Additionally, there were necessary releases from upstream dams in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada, due to rapid snow melt there and additional heavy rains in May and early June. This caused the flooding to continue. Homes in the Project Road area near Burlington took on water. M…
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 Ward 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.