Mellette County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mellette County's overall risk Very Low (score 5.2 of 100, higher than 5% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 488 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 | 83.2 | $348K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 60.2 | $54K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.4 | $443K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 33.1 | $23K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 16.9 | $88K |
| Drought | Very Low | 30.8 | $16K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 23.2 | $97 |
| Hail | Very Low | 22.5 | $48K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 19.4 | $133K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.9 | $11K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 15.1 | $21K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.2 | $22K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 8.1 | $657K |
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 | 164 | 0 | $350K | 58th of 66 | 2014th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 116 | 0 | $564K | 63rd of 66 | 2488th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 109 | 1 | $722K | 48th of 66 | 1758th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 57 | 0 | – | 59th of 66 | 1015th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 16 | 0 | $146K | 58th of 66 | 2632nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $1.7M | 57th of 66 | 2483rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | – | 53rd of 66 | 1926th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 53rd of 66 | 2405th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 26th of 66 | 2299th 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 Mellette County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.