Lake County Disaster Risk

Lake County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 33th 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.

Lake County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (73th percentile), wildfire (54th percentile), flooding (34th percentile), earthquake (22th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 73th 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.

Lake County's composite risk percentile is 33th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Lake County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Lake County's tornado risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Lake County is at the 34th 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.

Lake County's composite risk score of 33th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (73th percentile), along with wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.