Pennington County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pennington County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.6 of 100, higher than 78% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 3,309 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.9 | $4.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.6 | $657K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.2 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.6 | $525K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97.2 | $8.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.7 | $5.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 75.6 | $17M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.8 | $30K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61.0 | $1.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.6 | $588K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 30.4 | $306K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.9 | $406K |
| Drought | Very Low | 25.6 | $14K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 6.4 | $3 |
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 | 1,626 | 0 | $86M | 9th of 66 | 449th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 642 | 0 | $2.7M | 22nd of 66 | 2094th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 454 | 2 | $11M | 47th of 66 | 1653rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 392 | 0 | $261K | 14th of 66 | 419th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $11M | 42nd of 66 | 2317th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 49 | 0 | $24M | 53rd of 66 | 2329th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | – | 64th of 66 | 2412th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 13 | 2 | $159K | 15th of 66 | 1344th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 0 | $13K | 5th of 66 | 1536th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | – | 64th of 66 | 2478th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 35th of 66 | 1197th 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 Pennington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.