Earthquake Risk in South Dakota
All South Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index earthquake score
Earthquake risk — ground shaking from sudden movement along geologic faults — is rated for 66 of 66 South Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Pennington County carries the state's highest earthquake score at 56.9, with $406K in expected annual earthquake losses.
No South Dakota county reaches the High band for earthquake, and expected annual losses from earthquake total roughly $2M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Earthquake
| # | County | Earthquake Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennington County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $406K | |
| 2 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $140K | |
| 3 | Meade County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $181K | |
| 4 | Minnehaha County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $162K | |
| 5 | Fall River County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $75K | |
| 6 | Yankton County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $57K | |
| 7 | Davison County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $69K | |
| 8 | Butte County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $63K | |
| 9 | Brown County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $68K | |
| 10 | Charles Mix County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $50K | |
| 11 | Beadle County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $56K | |
| 12 | Hutchinson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $59K | |
| 13 | Oglala Lakota County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 14 | Custer County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $63K | |
| 15 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $79K | |
| 16 | Todd County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $22K | |
| 17 | Tripp County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $27K | |
| 18 | Brookings County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $54K | |
| 19 | Codington County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $36K | |
| 20 | Lake County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $36K | |
| 21 | McCook County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $44K | |
| 22 | Douglas County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $35K | |
| 23 | Brule County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $26K | |
| 24 | Jackson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $15K | |
| 25 | Bennett County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $13K | |
| 26 | Aurora County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $25K | |
| 27 | Union County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $28K | |
| 28 | Turner County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $25K | |
| 29 | Spink County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $27K | |
| 30 | Hughes County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $29K | |
| 31 | Mellette County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 32 | Gregory County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $21K | |
| 33 | Day County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $12K | |
| 34 | Lyman County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 35 | Bon Homme County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $20K | |
| 36 | Clay County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $21K | |
| 37 | Hanson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 38 | Buffalo County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 39 | Moody County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $12K | |
| 40 | Dewey County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 41 | Sanborn County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $18K | |
| 42 | Kingsbury County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $20K | |
| 43 | Edmunds County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $17K | |
| 44 | Faulk County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 45 | Ziebach County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $5K | |
| 46 | Jerauld County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 47 | Miner County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $18K | |
| 48 | Jones County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $12K | |
| 49 | Hyde County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 50 | Roberts County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 51 | Hand County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 52 | Hamlin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $12K | |
| 53 | Potter County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 54 | Marshall County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 55 | McPherson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 56 | Haakon County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 57 | Corson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 58 | Walworth County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 59 | Sully County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 60 | Grant County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 61 | Deuel County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $9K | |
| 62 | Perkins County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 63 | Harding County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 64 | Campbell County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 65 | Clark County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K | |
| 66 | Stanley County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $6K |
66 South Dakota counties with measurable earthquake risk. See the national earthquake ranking or all South Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota county has the highest earthquake risk?
Pennington County has the highest FEMA earthquake risk score in South Dakota at 56.9 (Very Low), with $406K in expected annual losses and about 0.00 events per year.
How many South Dakota counties face significant earthquake risk?
66 South Dakota counties record measurable earthquake risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.