Is McLean County, ND in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts McLean County's flood hazard at the 33.1th 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 2 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
0% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in McLean County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 0 policies against 17 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in McLean County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where McLean County ranks
McLean County sits at rank 2164 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2421 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 9,845 people live in McLean County, North Dakota, spread over 2,110.272 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in McLean County
FEMA counts 6,491 residential structures in McLean County overall, 2 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 McLean 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.