FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
South Dakota · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Potter County, SD
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 10
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Potter County in the top 90% 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 Potter County compare?
- Potter County
- 2
- South Dakota county avg
- 1.6
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Potter County?
Potter County, South Dakota has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 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 - declarations per year, 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. FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 10.0/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $5.4M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Relatively Low) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate). Among the 18 modeled hazards, Cold Wave carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Potter 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
-
-
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Potter County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Potter 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
46107
SD state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 1
Winter 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 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4718 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-07-06 |
| 4689 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2023-02-27 |
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
Very Low
Score: 10.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$5.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide 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 Potter County, South Dakota had?
Potter County, South Dakota has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2023. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Potter County?
The most common disaster type in Potter County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Flood (1).
How does Potter County's disaster risk compare to the South Dakota average?
Potter 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 Potter County received?
Potter 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 is the overall disaster risk level for Potter County?
Potter 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 Potter County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Potter County, South Dakota has an overall risk score of 10.0 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $5.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Potter County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Potter County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Very Low) and Winter Weather (Relatively Low). 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 Potter County
Potter 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.