Lake County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lake County's overall risk Very Low (score 32.6 of 100, higher than 32% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 664 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 | 82.7 | $266K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 77.9 | $390K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.0 | $3.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.0 | $570K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 65.0 | $1.9M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 47.8 | $139K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 44.9 | $530K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.9 | $65K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 38.6 | $236K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 34.1 | $4.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 27.9 | $286 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 21.5 | $36K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.7 | $27K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 179 | 1 | $4.2M | 11th of 66 | 299th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 150 | 0 | $2.7M | 17th of 66 | 915th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 130 | 0 | $3.0M | 13th of 66 | 1913th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 0 | $282K | 21st of 66 | 492nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 41 | 0 | $8.1M | 14th of 66 | 571st of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 41 | 0 | – | 5th of 66 | 285th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 26 | 1 | $37M | 24th of 66 | 1821st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $7.6M | 17th of 66 | 1438th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 23 | 0 | – | 12th of 66 | 621st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $4K | 11th of 66 | 1176th 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 Lake County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.