Brookings County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Brookings County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 50.1 of 100, higher than 50% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 844 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.6 | $739K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $5.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 80.0 | $594K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 77.0 | $4.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 62.2 | $1.1M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 64.2 | $168K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 48.4 | $9.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 42.7 | $126K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 40.4 | $343K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.3 | $426 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 23.1 | $54K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.0 | $32K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 191 | 1 | $2.2M | 19th of 66 | 525th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 179 | 0 | $17M | 15th of 66 | 1995th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 164 | 0 | $16M | 31st of 66 | 1237th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 131 | 0 | $27M | 12th of 66 | 553rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $2.1M | 45th of 66 | 781st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 40 | 0 | – | 21st of 66 | 492nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | $6.8M | 30th of 66 | 1134th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 0 | $6.5M | 24th of 66 | 1734th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 18 | 0 | – | 24th of 66 | 932nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $176K | 5th of 66 | 811th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Brookings County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.