Is Bowman County, ND in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Bowman County's flood hazard at the 2.4th percentile nationally — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 7 years. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Homes with a federally backed mortgage inside Bowman County's mapped high-risk flood zone (the Special Flood Hazard Area, or SFHA) are legally required to carry an NFIP flood policy. In practice, 33.3% of them do — 2 active policies against 6 structures FEMA counts in that zone, leaving a real compliance gap. Across all residential structures in Bowman County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Bowman County ranks
Bowman County sits at rank 3072 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2963 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Bowman County, North Dakota covers 1,161.809 square miles and counts roughly 2,886 residents.
Your street may differ from Bowman County's average
FEMA counts 1,498 residential structures in Bowman County overall, 3 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Bowman County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.