Day County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Day County's overall risk Very Low (score 27.6 of 100, higher than 27% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 747 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 Moderate | 85.1 | $217K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $243K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.0 | $2.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.9 | $259K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 69.0 | $416K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40.6 | $695K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 42.1 | $599 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 23.2 | $65K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 20.0 | $1.9M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.7 | $12K |
| Drought | Very Low | 13.6 | $126 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 3.1 | $8K |
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 | 207 | 0 | $1.1M | 32nd of 66 | 1252nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 195 | 0 | $15K | 44th of 66 | 2298th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 155 | 1 | $818K | 31st of 66 | 991st of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 46 | 0 | – | 28th of 66 | 564th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 0 | – | 60th of 66 | 1017th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 39 | 0 | $29M | 28th of 66 | 1931st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 0 | $11M | 25th of 66 | 1778th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | – | 50th of 66 | 1858th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 41st of 66 | 1558th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 32nd of 66 | 1155th 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 Day County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.