Drought Risk in South Dakota
All South Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 63 of 66 South Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Hutchinson County carries the state's highest drought score at 98.3, with $6M in expected annual drought losses.
2 South Dakota counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $27M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hutchinson County | High | 24.23 / yr | $6M | |
| 2 | Yankton County | High | 25.11 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Beadle County | Medium | 6.30 / yr | $2M | |
| 4 | Bon Homme County | Medium | 24.75 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Charles Mix County | Medium | 26.23 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Hanson County | Medium | 10.53 / yr | $692K | |
| 7 | Turner County | Medium | 26.47 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Aurora County | Medium | 18.29 / yr | $902K | |
| 9 | McCook County | Medium | 12.91 / yr | $1M | |
| 10 | Union County | Medium | 27.26 / yr | $951K | |
| 11 | Minnehaha County | Medium | 15.19 / yr | $807K | |
| 12 | Brule County | Medium | 25.58 / yr | $590K | |
| 13 | Clay County | Medium | 30.72 / yr | $955K | |
| 14 | Miner County | Medium | 10.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 15 | Lincoln County | Medium | 22.19 / yr | $879K | |
| 16 | Davison County | Medium | 15.49 / yr | $457K | |
| 17 | Douglas County | Low | 22.45 / yr | $446K | |
| 18 | Jerauld County | Low | 16.35 / yr | $320K | |
| 19 | Sanborn County | Low | 13.86 / yr | $509K | |
| 20 | Moody County | Low | 12.38 / yr | $324K | |
| 21 | Gregory County | Low | 26.37 / yr | $288K | |
| 22 | Lyman County | Low | 33.48 / yr | $144K | |
| 23 | Tripp County | Low | 30.77 / yr | $149K | |
| 24 | Bennett County | Low | 48.38 / yr | $117K | |
| 25 | Hand County | Low | 13.05 / yr | $235K | |
| 26 | Faulk County | Low | 10.53 / yr | $124K | |
| 27 | Kingsbury County | Low | 4.89 / yr | $236K | |
| 28 | Lake County | Low | 8.00 / yr | $139K | |
| 29 | Edmunds County | Low | 8.95 / yr | $178K | |
| 30 | Sully County | Low | 36.30 / yr | $150K | |
| 31 | Potter County | Low | 22.72 / yr | $103K | |
| 32 | Hyde County | Low | 15.52 / yr | $65K | |
| 33 | Brookings County | Low | 6.95 / yr | $126K | |
| 34 | Walworth County | Low | 20.95 / yr | $66K | |
| 35 | Buffalo County | Low | 14.41 / yr | $54K | |
| 36 | Oglala Lakota County | Low | 58.21 / yr | $37K | |
| 37 | Hughes County | Low | 35.34 / yr | $107K | |
| 38 | Hamlin County | Low | 4.43 / yr | $99K | |
| 39 | Spink County | Low | 1.88 / yr | $85K | |
| 40 | McPherson County | Low | 11.64 / yr | $42K | |
| 41 | Deuel County | Low | 5.78 / yr | $82K | |
| 42 | Codington County | Low | 4.43 / yr | $54K | |
| 43 | Jones County | Low | 32.70 / yr | $62K | |
| 44 | Grant County | Low | 5.45 / yr | $64K | |
| 45 | Haakon County | Low | 55.70 / yr | $34K | |
| 46 | Jackson County | Low | 51.78 / yr | $15K | |
| 47 | Mellette County | Very Low | 42.95 / yr | $16K | |
| 48 | Stanley County | Very Low | 42.95 / yr | $38K | |
| 49 | Brown County | Very Low | 2.45 / yr | $31K | |
| 50 | Ziebach County | Very Low | 55.15 / yr | $14K | |
| 51 | Todd County | Very Low | 35.65 / yr | $12K | |
| 52 | Corson County | Very Low | 33.27 / yr | $12K | |
| 53 | Fall River County | Very Low | 73.54 / yr | $13K | |
| 54 | Dewey County | Very Low | 50.02 / yr | $11K | |
| 55 | Campbell County | Very Low | 16.63 / yr | $26K | |
| 56 | Pennington County | Very Low | 53.32 / yr | $14K | |
| 57 | Meade County | Very Low | 58.56 / yr | $7K | |
| 58 | Butte County | Very Low | 48.76 / yr | $4K | |
| 59 | Perkins County | Very Low | 51.54 / yr | $5K | |
| 60 | Harding County | Very Low | 48.50 / yr | $4K | |
| 61 | Custer County | Very Low | 62.71 / yr | $2K | |
| 62 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 30.80 / yr | $773 | |
| 63 | Day County | Very Low | 0.10 / yr | $126 |
63 South Dakota counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all South Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota county has the highest drought risk?
Hutchinson County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in South Dakota at 98.3 (High), with $6M in expected annual losses and about 24.23 events per year.
How many South Dakota counties face significant drought risk?
63 South Dakota counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 2 of them are rated High or Very High.