Every federal disaster in Bismarck since 1957
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Burleigh County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 25since 1957
- Major disasters
- 19the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 13declarations
- Most recent
- 2025Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Burleigh County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by winter weather, ice storm and hail. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | Major disaster | DR-4888 |
| Apr 1, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4509 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3512 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3477 |
| Jun 25, 2013 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4123 |
| May 10, 2011 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1981 |
| Apr 7, 2011 | Flooding | Emergency | EM-3318 |
| Apr 21, 2010 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-1901 |
| Mar 14, 2010 | Flooding | Emergency | EM-3309 |
| Mar 24, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1829 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3247 |
| May 28, 2001 | Severe Storms, Flooding, & Ground Saturation | Major disaster | DR-1376 |
| Jun 27, 2000 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation | Major disaster | DR-1334 |
| Jun 8, 1999 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow, Ice, Ground Saturation, Lanslides, Mudslides, and Tor | Major disaster | DR-1279 |
| Apr 7, 1997 | Severe Flooding,Severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains | Major disaster | DR-1174 |
| Jan 12, 1997 | Severe Winter Storms and Blizzard Conditions | Major disaster | DR-1157 |
| Jun 5, 1996 | Severe Storms,Flooding, & Ice Jams | Major disaster | DR-1118 |
| May 16, 1995 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation | Major disaster | DR-1050 |
| Jul 26, 1993 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1001 |
| Apr 26, 1979 | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-581 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | Storms, Ice Jams, Snowmelt & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-554 |
| Jul 21, 1976 | Drought | Emergency | EM-3016 |
| Jun 5, 1970 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-287 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-256 |
| Jun 22, 1957 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-79 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Bismarck had?
Since 1957, the federal government has issued 25 disaster or emergency declarations covering Burleigh County, including 19 major disaster declarations. 13 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Bismarck?
Severe Storm, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds (Major disaster, declared September 11, 2025).
What kinds of disasters hit Bismarck most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (12), severe storm (7), biological (3) and tornado (1).
New to Bismarck? The city profile covers flood maps and emergency alerts, and the risk summary shows FEMA's hazard ratings.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), downloaded October 18, 2026. We list declarations that named Burleigh County, plus early statewide declarations from before FEMA designated individual counties. "Major disaster" declarations bring the widest federal aid; "emergency" declarations cover shorter-term help; "fire management" declarations help pay to fight large wildfires.