Hughes County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hughes County's overall risk Very Low (score 16.5 of 100, higher than 16% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 801 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 | 69.2 | $197K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.0 | $485K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56.5 | $179K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $1.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.4 | $107K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 26.7 | $638K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 23.1 | $336K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 32.6 | $5.9M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 31.0 | $223K |
| Hail | Very Low | 27.1 | $161K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.1 | $166 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 18.4 | $98K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.9 | $29K |
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 | 263 | 0 | $3K | 2nd of 66 | 1160th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 211 | 0 | – | 15th of 66 | 743rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 104 | 0 | – | 2nd of 66 | 213th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 0 | – | 34th of 66 | 1120th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 35 | 0 | $3.9M | 21st of 66 | 1633rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | – | 28th of 66 | 1082nd of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 0 | – | 36th of 66 | 707th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 14 | 0 | – | 26th of 66 | 1034th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $17M | 48th of 66 | 2231st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $69K | 20th of 66 | 1690th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 23rd of 66 | 1049th 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 Hughes County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.