Meade County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Meade County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 49.5 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 2,685 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 | 93.2 | $749K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.0 | $6.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 71.8 | $825K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 59.5 | $1.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56.4 | $154K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 51.9 | $9.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $283K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.0 | $488K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 33.6 | $859K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.6 | $4K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 37.9 | $181K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 24.1 | $123K |
| Drought | Very Low | 20.8 | $7K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 2.6 | $1 |
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 | 872 | 0 | $5.2M | 44th of 66 | 1563rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 616 | 0 | $5.2M | 53rd of 66 | 2383rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 551 | 1 | $18M | 49th of 66 | 1774th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 498 | 0 | $135K | 34th of 66 | 613th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 52 | 0 | $8.4M | 62nd of 66 | 2681st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 46 | 0 | $9.0M | 56th of 66 | 2474th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 0 | – | 66th of 66 | 2436th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 25th of 66 | 2272nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 66th of 66 | 2487th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | – | 38th of 66 | 2337th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 40th of 66 | 1222nd 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 Meade County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.