FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
South Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Brookings County, SD
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 50
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Brookings County in the top 50% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Brookings County compare?
- Brookings County
- 2
- South Dakota county avg
- 1.6
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Brookings County?
Brookings County, South Dakota has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2023, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 25% above the South Dakota county average of 1.6 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 50.1/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $23.8M in annualized losses), and a Very Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Taken together, Brookings County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. South Dakota Avg
+25%
State avg: 1.6
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Brookings County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Brookings County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
46011
SD state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 100.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4689 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2023-02-27 |
| 4656 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-06-29 |
Storm Events in South Dakota
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 6,137 | 7 | 21 | $10.7M |
| Hail | 5,130 | 0 | 3 | $4.5M |
| High Wind | 2,665 | 0 | 1 | $35.0K |
| Winter Weather | 2,307 | 21 | 52 | $133.0K |
| Flood | 1,596 | 5 | 0 | $196.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 50.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$23.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in South Dakota
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Brookings County, South Dakota had?
Brookings County, South Dakota has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2023. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Brookings County?
The most common disaster type in Brookings County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1).
How does Brookings County's disaster risk compare to the South Dakota average?
Brookings County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 25% higher than the South Dakota county average of 1.6 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Brookings County received?
Brookings County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in South Dakota?
The most common storm types in South Dakota include Thunderstorm Wind (6,137 events), Hail (5,130 events), High Wind (2,665 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Brookings County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Brookings County was 2022, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Brookings County?
Brookings County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Brookings County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Brookings County, South Dakota has an overall risk score of 50.1 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $23.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Brookings County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Brookings County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Brookings County
Brookings County, SD has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 25% above the South Dakota county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. South Dakota overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.