Natural Disaster Risk in Bottineau County

Natural Hazard Profile: Bottineau County, North Dakota

Bottineau County is located in the United States in North Dakota, home to roughly 6,379 residents. The county experiences extremely cold winters and short, warm summers with prairie wind exposure, with severe blizzards and spring flooding shaping the natural hazards faced by its communities. FEMA assesses risk at this county level, providing the baseline for every city and ZIP code within its boundaries.

According to FEMA's National Risk Index, Bottineau County carries an overall risk score of 5.0/10, placing it in the moderate category. The area faces significant winter hazard exposure, with nor'easters, ice storms, or blizzards regularly challenging transportation networks and power infrastructure. The area also faces notable exposure to wildfire and ice storm.

Bottineau County's risk score, near the 4.7/10 state average and near the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. Of the 18 hazard categories tracked by FEMA for Bottineau County, the highest-scoring are winter, wildfire, and ice storm. These scores reflect county-level data and represent the baseline risk that all communities in the county share.

With a moderate risk rating, Bottineau County residents are well-served by maintaining standard preparedness practices — an emergency supply kit, awareness of local hazard seasonality, and insurance that covers the top local risks. Periodic review of coverage for winter is recommended.