Roberts County, South Dakota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Roberts County's overall risk Very Low (score 37.8 of 100, higher than 37% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 688 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 | 88.0 | $257K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.0 | $2.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 77.8 | $253K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.7 | $499K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 74.0 | $174K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.9 | $372K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 50.4 | $920K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 38.0 | $3.3M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.1 | $2K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 37.2 | $146K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 8.8 | $6K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 8.7 | $21K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 169 | 0 | $1.5M | 30th of 66 | 983rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 141 | 0 | $1.1M | 60th of 66 | 2454th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 132 | 0 | $1.2M | 59th of 66 | 2076th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 91 | 0 | – | 16th of 66 | 447th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 51 | 1 | – | 25th of 66 | 539th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 43 | 0 | $17M | 25th of 66 | 1847th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 1 | $12M | 31st of 66 | 1905th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 19 | 0 | – | 47th of 66 | 1743rd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 48th of 66 | 1840th 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 Roberts County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.