Hand County Disaster Risk

Hand County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 6th 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.

Hand County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (77th percentile), tornado (20th percentile), earthquake (9th percentile), flooding (6th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 77th 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.

Hand County's composite risk percentile is 6th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Hand County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Hand County's wildfire risk is at the 77th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Hand County is at the 6th 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.

Hand County's composite risk score of 6th percentile is below the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 77th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.