Brule County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Brule County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 58.7 of 100, higher than 58% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 707 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.4 | $14M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 73.2 | $590K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 72.1 | $134K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63.5 | $147K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.6 | $216K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65.9 | $444K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.1 | $637K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 25.2 | $226K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 28.6 | $3.2M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 19.6 | $26K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.7 | $33K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.7 | $34 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 10.7 | $34K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 182 | 0 | $13M | 33rd of 66 | 1262nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 162 | 1 | $1.7M | 26th of 66 | 712th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 147 | 0 | $2.4M | 14th of 66 | 1970th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 58 | 0 | $220K | 30th of 66 | 571st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 50 | 0 | $29M | 19th of 66 | 750th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 29 | 0 | $13M | 29th of 66 | 1967th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 0 | $16M | 20th of 66 | 1517th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 2 | – | 38th of 66 | 793rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 22 | 0 | $7K | 19th of 66 | 829th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $64K | 23rd of 66 | 1762nd 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 Brule County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.