Photo: A Milton, North Dakota, photographer · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in Milton
Milton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Milton has 43 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Milton 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
Ice storms
Tornadoes
Strong wind
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.
Does Milton flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Milton. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Milton
Disasters that paid out in Milton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Milton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Winter Storm and Flooding$8K to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2013Flooding$5K to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$4K to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding$2K to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$773 to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$14K to the City of Milton for repairs
Show all 8
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$12K to the City of Milton for repairs
- 2001Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$8K to the City of Milton for repairs
Cavalier County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Milton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Milton archive →Milton and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montrose Township | — | 8 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Milton faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Milton
Is Milton 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.
How much is flood insurance in Milton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Milton’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 Milton?
By FEMA money that reached Milton, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation (2005): $14K to the City of Milton for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Milton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Milton’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.