Stock Exchange Bank · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Storms, floods and disasters in Fargo
Fargo isn’t graded for hazard risk: Fargo has 307 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Fargo faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Ice storms
River and rain flooding
Wildfire
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 Fargo flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Fargo. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fargo
Disasters that paid out in Fargo itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Fargo), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Winter Storm$4K to the Town of Fargo for repairs
- 2005Extreme Wildfire Threat$1K to the Town of Fargo for repairs
- 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$1K to the Town of Fargo for repairs
Ellis County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Ellis County, 2017–2025.
Old photos of Fargo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fargo archive →Get ready for what Fargo faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Fargo
Is Fargo 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 Fargo?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fargo’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 Fargo?
By FEMA money that reached Fargo, Severe Winter Storm (2017): $4K to the Town of Fargo for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fargo.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fargo’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.