FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
South Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Pennington County, SD
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 79
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Pennington County ranks in the riskiest 21% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 41% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 3 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2021, most often fire, 22% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 21%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 3
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- fire declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Pennington County compare?
Pennington County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
3 41st percentile higher than 41% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Pennington County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the South Dakota county average
How disaster-prone is Pennington County?
Declaration frequency
Pennington County, South Dakota has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.6 declarations per year across a 5-year record, or roughly 79% above the South Dakota county average of 1.7 and 22% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 2 of 3 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 78.6/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $40.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Pennington 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
+79%
State avg: 1.7
vs. National Avg
-22%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.6
Over 5 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Pennington County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Pennington 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
46103
SD state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 2
Straight-Line Winds 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 2 66.7%
of all 3 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 33.3%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4903 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2026-04-07 |
| 5418 | AUBURN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-10-04 |
| 5384 | SCHROEDER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-03-29 |
Storm Events in South Dakota
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 6,902 | 11 | 21 | $10.9M |
| Hail | 5,580 | 0 | 3 | $4.5M |
| High Wind | 3,123 | 0 | 1 | $35.0K |
| Winter Weather | 2,469 | 24 | 54 | $133.0K |
| Flood | 1,656 | 6 | 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: 78.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$40.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Avalanche 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 Pennington County, South Dakota had?
Pennington County, South Dakota has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Pennington County?
The most common disaster type in Pennington County is Fire, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Straight-Line Winds (1).
How does Pennington County's disaster risk compare to the South Dakota average?
Pennington County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 79% higher than the South Dakota county average of 1.7 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 22% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Pennington County received?
Pennington County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 33% of all 3 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 (6,902 events), Hail (5,580 events), High Wind (3,123 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Pennington County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Pennington County was 2021, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Pennington County?
Pennington County's 3 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 Pennington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Pennington County, South Dakota has an overall risk score of 78.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $40.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Pennington County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Pennington County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively High) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). 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 Pennington County
Pennington County, SD runs 79% above the South Dakota county average for federal disaster declarations (3 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (2 of 3) - 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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 national statistics report, or report a data error.