Hand County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hand County's overall risk Very Low (score 6.5 of 100, higher than 6% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 867 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.5 | $398K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 59.4 | $1.7M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 53.6 | $235K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52.3 | $359K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.6 | $52K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 36.2 | $55K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.2 | $299K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.6 | $43K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.9 | $101K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 8.7 | $10K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 6.2 | $1.1M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 4.2 | $7 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 0.7 | $3K |
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 | 326 | 0 | $22M | 40th of 66 | 1501st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 195 | 0 | $995 | 58th of 66 | 2442nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 110 | 2 | – | 52nd of 66 | 1861st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 66 | 0 | – | 56th of 66 | 972nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 42 | 0 | $43M | 35th of 66 | 2183rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 1 | $26M | 38th of 66 | 2020th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 0 | – | 43rd of 66 | 962nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | – | 44th of 66 | 1590th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 12 | 0 | – | 44th of 66 | 1594th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Hand County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.