Pierce County, ND Environment & Hazard Risk

• Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$184K/yr expected annual loss, about 21 events a year
• Cold waveRelatively Low$1.9M/yr expected annual loss, about 22 events a year
• WildfireVery Low$91.7K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 843 years
• Ice stormRelatively Low$125K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• HailVery Low$127K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
• DroughtVery Low$12.8K/yr expected annual loss, about 14 events a year
• LandslideVery Low$172/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
• Strong windVery Low$197K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
• TornadoVery Low$205K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• Heat waveVery Low$9,711/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• LightningVery Low$18.6K/yr expected annual loss, about 26 events a year
• EarthquakeVery Low$1,884/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11,628 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

1 of 2,095 (0.1%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

0

Flood claims since 1978

10

Claims paid since 1978

$55.8K

• Hail79
• Thunderstorm Wind50
• Blizzard44
• High Wind39
• Heavy Snow33
• Extreme Cold/Wind Chill31
• Winter Storm26
• Drought9
• Cold/Wind Chill9
• Tornado8

• Thunderstorm Wind96 kt wind06/19/2005

  Silva, Pierce County

  $1.8M damage

  What happened

  Six (6) miles of 230 KV high voltage transmission lines down.

• Blizzard01/09/1997

  Pierce

  $1.5M damage

  What happened

  The second blizzard in less than 1 week brought North Dakota to a virtual standstill. This blizzard didn't bring as much snow as the first storm, but the winds gusted from the northwest as high at 40 mph and they lasted for 3 days. Snowfall amounts from this storm varied from 1-2 inches in the southwest to 2-4 inches in the central. But the strong winds combined with this snow as well as the snow from the blizzard a few days earlier created widespread whiteout conditions that lasted for 3 days. There were numerous communities that halted mail delivery and cancelled school. In Emmons Co. every road was blocked by drifts, some as high as 18 feet. In McLean Co. there was a drift at the intersection of highways 83 and 37 that was 12 feet high and 150 yards long. It took snow plow operators working from both directions 10 hours to open. The Standing Rock Indian Reservation had severe hardship with snow drifts taller than buses blocking all the entrance roads. Most of the people on the reservation ran out of propane to heat their homes, and food shortages were widespread. Again, almost every major road in North Dakota was closed and plows pulled off. In Foster Co., the county road...

• Blizzard04/05/1997

  Pierce

  $650K damage

  What happened

  Warm weather the first three days of April lead much of North Dakota to believe that spring had arrived with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Mother Nature had other plans. A very strong area of low pressure moved out of the Colorado area into the northern plains. Warm moist air ahead of the low collided with cold air coming down from Canada. The result was the worst blizzard of the season for North Dakota, bringing much of the state to a complete halt. The precipitation began to fall during the afternoon of the 4th (Friday), as rain in the east and freezing rain or sleet in the west. By Friday evening the freezing rain and sleet had changed over to all snow in the west. By Saturday afternoon the heavy snow moved into the central part of the state, reaching trhe eastern part of North Dakota later that night. Snow accumulations were on average 1.5 to 2 inches an hour with 50 to 60 mph winds as well. The blizzard ended in the west on the morning of the 6th (Sunday), but continued into the evening across the east. The additional snow at Bismarck brought the season snowfall total to 101.4 inches, which set an all time record. The old record was 91.8 inches. In Jamestown, they...

• Hail2.5" hail08/03/2016

  Rugby, Pierce County

  $625K damage

  What happened

  Large hail occurred in the city of Rugby, with the largest hail falling near the intersection of US Highway 2 and ND Highway 3 on the south end of town. Damage occurred to structures and automobiles, and south of town to crops.

• Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind08/13/2007

  Balta, Pierce County

  $545K damage

  What happened

  High wind blew down four 40 foot trees. Nickel to walnut sized hail was also reported with the winds. Buildings were damaged on a farmstead northwest of Balta, along with major crop damage across central Pierce county due to the combined affects of the wind and hail.

• TornadoEF1, 1.25 mi path, 50 yd wide07/20/2011

  Rugby, Pierce County

  $475K damage

  What happened

  A brief tornado touched down five miles south of Rugby on the leading edge of a linear severe thunderstorm. This tornado was within a larger area of straight line thunderstorm winds which also caused damage. Several buildings sustained damage or were destroyed by this tornado, along with trees, and three power poles were snapped along North Dakota Highway 3 where the tornado crossed. A semi truck was picked up along Highway 3 and thrown into the ditch. There were no injuries or deaths reported with this tornado. The tornado damage corresponded to EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. From that it was determined that wind speeds with this tornado were on the order of 100 miles per hour.

• Rugby City ofServes 2,876 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• All Seasons Wd-System VServes 1,075 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
• Selz Water Users AssociationServes 43 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting