Bismarck Metro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Bismarck Area is about the same as North Dakota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Bismarck Area is about the same as North Dakota average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #658
| Bismarck Area | 0.01 |
| North Dakota | 0.00 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #129
| Bismarck Area | 0.0000 |
| North Dakota | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #653
| Bismarck Area | 76.24 |
| North Dakota | 81.79 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 3,974 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Bismarck Area were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 57 | Cold: | 38 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 2 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 138 | Hail: | 2,163 | Heat: | 1 | Heavy Snow: | 23 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 7 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 52 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,269 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 10 | Winter Storm: | 63 | Winter Weather: | 9 |
| Other: | 142 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Bismarck Area.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Bismarck Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 27.4 | 1968-07-08 | 4.4 | N/A | 46.5 | -100.6 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 20 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Bismarck Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 0.4 | 1978-05-25 | 3 | 46°50'N / 100°54'W | 2.50 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morton | |
| 7.4 | 2000-11-01 | 2 | 46°57'N / 100°46'W | 46°56'N / 100°58'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 55K | 0 | Burleigh |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in a sparsely developed area in open country along highway 1804. The tornado skipped in a west..northwest direction. One home was heavily damaged. Several bales of hay were destroyed. The tornado crossed the Missouri River into Morton county. | |||||||||||
| 9.5 | 1981-07-30 | 3 | 46°44'N / 101°08'W | 46°40'N / 100°42'W | 20.90 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morton |
| 17.0 | 1981-07-30 | 3 | 46°40'N / 100°42'W | 46°39'N / 100°37'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh |
| 24.7 | 1953-05-29 | 5 | 46°33'N / 100°35'W | 46°38'N / 100°28'W | 7.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Emmons |
| 26.8 | 1953-05-29 | 5 | 46°27'N / 100°40'W | 46°33'N / 100°35'W | 7.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 2 | 20 | 250K | 0 | Morton |
| 29.9 | 1956-06-17 | 2 | 47°00'N / 100°45'W | 47°08'N / 99°59'W | 37.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh |
| 33.8 | 1952-07-01 | 4 | 47°03'N / 100°30'W | 47°09'N / 100°06'W | 19.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 25 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh |
| 34.3 | 1990-06-18 | 2 | 47°07'N / 101°35'W | 47°07'N / 101°26'W | 6.00 Miles | 93 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Oliver |
| 34.5 | 1955-08-03 | 2 | 47°20'N / 101°00'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mclean | |||
| 37.1 | 1957-07-16 | 2 | 47°10'N / 100°17'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Burleigh | |||
| 38.5 | 1985-05-30 | 2 | 47°12'N / 100°17'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| 40.1 | 2006-08-24 | 2 | 47°21'N / 101°18'W | 47°22'N / 101°16'W | 2.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Mclean |
| Brief Description: This low end F2 tornado, on the order of 120 mph, produced considerable damage to a farm house and outbuildings 9 miles southwest of Underwood. The attached garage was completely torn from the two story house, and the roofing materials were also torn away, leaving the trusses visible. One detached shop, garden shed, and well house were destroyed. Items from the property were found 1/2 mile away. Nearby power lines were down. National Weather Service personnel conducted storm surveys of the area on two different days. | |||||||||||
| 40.7 | 1971-06-04 | 2 | 46°50'N / 101°46'W | 0.50 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Morton | |
| 42.5 | 1955-07-01 | 3 | 46°23'N / 100°18'W | 46°25'N / 100°15'W | 1.30 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons |
| 44.0 | 1974-05-26 | 2 | 46°29'N / 100°08'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons | |
| 44.7 | 1959-08-25 | 2 | 46°30'N / 100°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Emmons | |
| 45.0 | 1978-07-04 | 4 | 46°24'N / 101°53'W | 46°24'N / 101°20'W | 26.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 5 | 35 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant |
| 45.4 | 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°30'N / 100°05'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons | |||
| 48.9 | 1956-06-18 | 3 | 47°18'N / 101°48'W | 47°19'N / 101°34'W | 10.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mercer |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.