Lawrence County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lawrence County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 49.3 of 100, higher than 49% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,268 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 High | 89.4 | $397K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.2 | $2.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.0 | $563K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 62.8 | $809K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.9 | $4K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $8.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 37.8 | $794K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.1 | $140K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 16.9 | $46K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.4 | $773 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 10.5 | $9 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 8.3 | $4K |
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 | 537 | 0 | $10M | 1st of 66 | 45th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 432 | 3 | $5.1M | 8th of 66 | 263rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 114 | 0 | $16M | 40th of 66 | 2269th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 108 | 0 | $298K | 7th of 66 | 290th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 27 | 0 | $3.1M | 31st of 66 | 2105th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $2.6M | 27th of 66 | 1798th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 0 | – | 51st of 66 | 1667th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 1 | $9K | 6th of 66 | 912th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 4th of 66 | 1513th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 7th of 66 | 779th of 2,972 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 51st of 66 | 2288th 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 Lawrence County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.