Butte County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Butte County's overall risk Very Low (score 23.3 of 100, higher than 23% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 966 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74.4 | $686K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.8 | $125K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 86.9 | $865K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 61.1 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 47.7 | $522K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 29.0 | $106K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 33.4 | $3.9M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 32.9 | $391 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 28.3 | $63K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.3 | $318K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 21.3 | $18K |
| Drought | Very Low | 19.7 | $4K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13.6 | $30K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 322 | 0 | $2.1M | 56th of 66 | 2436th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 310 | 0 | $7.5M | 60th of 66 | 2082nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 137 | 0 | $14M | 61st of 66 | 2113th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 132 | 0 | $255K | 44th of 66 | 769th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 26 | 1 | $4.3M | 65th of 66 | 2769th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 0 | $2.7M | 65th of 66 | 2577th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | – | 60th of 66 | 2298th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 31st of 66 | 2351st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 62nd of 66 | 2460th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 43rd of 66 | 1245th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Butte County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.