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Emmons County CourthouseEmmons County Courthouse · Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Linton · FEMA

For wildfire, Linton’s building-damage rate is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Linton gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (40%), then wildfire (26%). Flood insurance has paid 57 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 40%Wildfire 26%Hail 18%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 63%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C+
in North Dakota · higher than 63% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
40% of expected building damage
Flood claims
57
paid since 1978 · $857K
Flooded more than once
4
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
3
of 22 declared for Emmons County

What stands out about Linton’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Wildfire: the top 3% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for wildfire here ranks in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts; it is 25.5% of the damage it expects.Moved out of harm’s way21 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 1 flood-prone home bought out and moved with FEMA grants.Remembers 200920 flood claims were paid for 2009 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Linton faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

40%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Wildfire

26%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms top 0% Strong wind Ice storms Earthquakes Lightning Cold waves Heat waves top 4% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 31% of Linton’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Linton’s grade

River and rain flooding is 40% of the building damage FEMA expects in Linton, and Linton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 26%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Linton sits
Linton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Linton’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding40%Wildfire26%Hail18%Everything else16%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.8M a year in losses across Linton: $2.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Linton’s 1,071 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Strasburg city (379 residents) and Hazelton city (223 residents) and Hague city (70 residents) and Campbell township (50 residents) and Braddock city (18 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Linton flood? Sometimes: 57 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Linton, from FEMA’s records: 90.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 4 claims1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 3 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 4 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 1 claim1996: 0 claims1997: 2 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 20 claims2010: 11 claims2011: 2 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 9 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200920102019
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Winter storm16 claims · $675K
57
paid claims since 1978
$857K
paid to owners
4
homes flooded more than once
$15K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Linton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Emmons County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
21flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1flood-prone home bought out and moved
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Linton

Disasters that paid out in Linton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Linton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2010Flooding$5K to the City of Linton for repairs11 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2009Severe Storms and Flooding116 households applied for aid$1.0M aid approved$204K to the City of Linton for repairs20 flood claims paid that year
  3. 1999Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow, Ice, Ground Saturation, Lanslides, Mudslides, and Tor$10K to the City of Linton for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LintonEmmons County only

Emmons County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Linton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Linton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Linton faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Linton

Is Linton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Linton has higher expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (40%) and wildfire (26%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Linton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 57 claims in Linton since 1978, $857K in all, or 90.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Winter storm (16).

Is Linton in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Emmons County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Linton?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Linton’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Linton?

By FEMA money that reached Linton, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): 116 households applied for aid, $1.0M approved, and $204K to the City of Linton for repairs. By flood claims, Winter storm: 16 paid, $675K.

Is Linton at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (40%), and Linton’s rate for it is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Linton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Linton’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.