Potter County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Potter County's overall risk Very Low (score 10.0 of 100, higher than 9% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 559 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $2.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.4 | $90K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.8 | $250K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43.4 | $103K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 31.3 | $39K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 56.6 | $77K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.9 | $224K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 14.6 | $2.0M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.1 | $117K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.9 | $23K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 8.2 | $9K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 4.4 | $7 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 3.9 | $15K |
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 | 134 | 0 | $14K | 42nd of 66 | 1522nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 134 | 0 | $10K | 32nd of 66 | 2223rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 92 | 0 | – | 40th of 66 | 1409th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 69 | 0 | – | 18th of 66 | 475th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 39 | 0 | – | 26th of 66 | 554th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 29th of 66 | 1128th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $11M | 46th of 66 | 2172nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 19 | 0 | $14M | 41st of 66 | 2316th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 34th of 66 | 1447th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 33rd of 66 | 2177th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 28th of 66 | 1088th 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 Potter County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.