Steele County, ND Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 587 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.34M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 587
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 1
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 6.6 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very Low
Score 17.8 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 58.0 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.02B · Agriculture value exposed: $193M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.75M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$1.46M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.4 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$796K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$274K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$86.64K/yr expected annual loss, about 24 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$969K/yr expected annual loss, about 21 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$180/yr expected annual loss, about once every 14 years
- DroughtVery Low$6,479/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$7,224/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,352 years
- TornadoVery Low$216K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Heat waveVery Low$6,995/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- LightningVery Low$5,891/yr expected annual loss, about 28 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$1,019/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,101 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.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 1 of 1,194 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 8
- Claims paid since 1978
- $135K
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$10.41K · 2 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 587 events, 0 deaths, $88.34M in damage
- Hail150
- Thunderstorm Wind89
- Blizzard73
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill57
- Winter Storm50
- Heavy Snow33
- Tornado24
- High Wind22
- Cold/Wind Chill20
- Flood16
Events per year
44 tornadoes on record (EF0 10, EF1 4, EF2 3, F0 15, F1 6, F2 2, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind87 kt wind07/16/2007
Finley, Steele County
$22M damage
What happened
Five wooden double post high voltage power towers were snapped off by downburst winds. The utility company estimated winds around 100 mph. Large hail and damaging winds produced extensive crop damage across portions of Easton and Melrose Townships.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind07/16/2007
Colgate, Steele County
$13M damage
What happened
Numerous trees were blown down and a field irrigation system was overturned. Extensive crop damage also occurred in Colgate and Broadlawn Townships.
- Flash Flood09/21/2019
Luverne, Steele County
$10.25M damage
What happened
Streets, low spots, rivers, and basements were flooded by 4 to 9 inches of rain over a short duration of time. Cars that got stuck in the flood waters were abandoned where they stalled. Farm fields and access roads were also flooded.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind07/16/2007
Hope, Steele County
$8.5M damage
What happened
There was a report of quarter size hail, 1.50 inches of rain, and full grown pine trees broken in half. The baseball field scoreboard was blown down and the metal batting cage was blown across two baseball diamonds. Extensive crop damage occurred throughout Hugo Township.
- Thunderstorm Wind60 kt wind07/16/2007
Finley, Steele County
$6M damage
What happened
Fully grown trees were uprooted. Some trees fell on power poles and powerlines, causing power outages in Finley. Trees also fell on cars and damage was reported at the grain elevator. On one house porch, the windows were blown out and the screens were torn off. Extensive wind driven hail produced crop damage across portions of Finley Township.
- Hail0.75" hail07/16/2007
Hope, Steele County
$6M damage
What happened
Hail covered the ground. Damaging winds produced additional crop damage in Carpenter and Colgate Townships.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Excessive Heat07/26/2026
Steele
- Excessive Heat07/12/2026
Steele
- Frost/Freeze05/20/2026
Steele
- Frost/Freeze05/11/2026
Steele
- Frost/Freeze05/10/2026
Steele
- Heavy Snow04/03/2026
Steele
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill01/25/2026
Steele
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill01/22/2026
Steele
Drinking water
3 community water systems serve about 799 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Finley City ofServes 445 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Hope City ofServes 258 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Sharon City ofServes 96 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Cooperstown, 15 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 79°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near -3°F in Jan. About 22.0 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 42.2 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°F | -3°F | 0.47 in | 8.4 in |
| Feb | 21°F | 1°F | 0.63 in | 7.0 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 15°F | 0.74 in | 7.5 in |
| Apr | 52°F | 29°F | 1.19 in | 2.5 in |
| May | 66°F | 41°F | 3.04 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 52°F | 3.43 in | - |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 3.75 in | - |
| Aug | 78°F | 53°F | 3.16 in | - |
| Sep | 69°F | 45°F | 2.09 in | - |
| Oct | 54°F | 32°F | 1.98 in | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 36°F | 17°F | 0.78 in | 5.9 in |
| Dec | 22°F | 4°F | 0.74 in | 9.7 in |
| Year | 39°F average | 22.0 in | 42.2 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Steele County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Steele County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Steele County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Steele County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.34M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (relatively moderate), hail (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Steele County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 587 storm events affecting Steele County, most often hail (150), thunderstorm wind (89), blizzard (73).
- How many tornadoes have hit Steele County?
- 44 tornadoes have been recorded in Steele County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Steele County have flood insurance?
- 1 residential flood insurance policy is in force in Steele County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $135K on 8 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Steele County?
- At Cooperstown, average highs reach 79°F in Jul and lows fall to -3°F in Jan, with 22.0 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.