riskbycounty
FEMA NRI 1.19.0Updated Nov 2023 · Coverage 2014–2023Methodology

South Dakota Disaster Risk

Natural disaster risk data for all 66 counties.

Avg FEMA Rating

Very Low

Avg Percentile

27th

Counties with Data

66

of 66 total

County risk atlas

South Dakota hazard exposure by county

A compact 2.5D surface of FEMA National Risk Index percentiles. Toggle composite, flood, wildfire, hurricane, tornado, and earthquake risk to see which counties carry the highest relative exposure without loading the full national explorer dataset.

Counties

66/66

Avg composite

27th

Risk layers

6

All South Dakota Counties

CountyPercentile
Minnehaha County90th
Dewey County79th
Pennington County79th
Brown County74th
Yankton County63th
Lincoln County63th
Codington County62th
Brule County59th
Brookings County50th
Oglala Lakota County50th
Meade County49th
Lawrence County49th
Charles Mix County49th
Hutchinson County48th
Beadle County47th
McCook County43th
Walworth County40th
Davison County39th
Corson County38th
Roberts County38th
Union County37th
Todd County37th
Tripp County36th
Lake County33th
Fall River County31th
Day County28th
Moody County27th
Lyman County26th
Ziebach County25th
Turner County24th
Butte County23th
Clay County20th
Aurora County20th
Grant County19th
Spink County18th
Hughes County16th
Custer County16th
Gregory County16th
Hanson County15th
Marshall County14th
Buffalo County14th
McPherson County11th
Bon Homme County11th
Douglas County10th
Jackson County10th
Potter County10th
Hamlin County10th
Haakon County10th
Jerauld County10th
Faulk County8th
Kingsbury County8th
Edmunds County7th
Deuel County7th
Hyde County6th
Hand County6th
Sully County6th
Bennett County6th
Mellette County5th
Stanley County5th
Clark County5th
Campbell County4th
Sanborn County4th
Miner County3th
Perkins County3th
Harding County1th
Jones County1th

Frequently Asked Questions

Which county in South Dakota has the highest natural disaster risk?
Minnehaha County has the highest natural disaster risk in South Dakota, rated Relatively Moderate (90th percentile nationally), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.
Which county in South Dakota is the safest from natural disasters?
Jones County has the lowest natural disaster risk in South Dakota, rated Very Low (1th percentile nationally), based on FEMA NRI data.
What natural disasters are most common in South Dakota?
South Dakota counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.
How is natural disaster risk measured by county?
The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

Prepare your household for natural disasters

FEMA's Ready.gov provides county-specific preparedness checklists and emergency planning guides.

FEMA Ready Guide →

Data Source

Risk data sourced from the FEMA National Risk Index (NRI). Risk scores are relative rankings (0–100) across all US counties — not absolute risk measures. Higher scores indicate higher relative risk compared to other counties.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not financial, insurance, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making insurance or real estate decisions.

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