Day County Disaster Risk

Day County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 28th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Day County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (78th percentile), tornado (41th percentile), flooding (20th percentile), earthquake (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 78th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Day County's composite risk percentile is 28th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Day County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Day County's wildfire risk is at the 78th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Day County is at the 20th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Day County's composite risk score of 28th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (78th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.