Heat Wave Risk in South Dakota
All South Dakota counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index heat wave score
Heat Wave risk — prolonged periods of extreme heat that threaten health and infrastructure — is rated for 66 of 66 South Dakota counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Minnehaha County carries the state's highest heat wave score at 87.2, with $3M in expected annual heat wave losses.
No South Dakota county reaches the High band for heat wave, and expected annual losses from heat wave total roughly $10M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Heat Wave
| # | County | Heat Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnehaha County | Medium | 5.58 / yr | $3M | |
| 2 | Yankton County | Low | 6.74 / yr | $563K | |
| 3 | Pennington County | Low | 0.89 / yr | $588K | |
| 4 | Brown County | Low | 3.63 / yr | $402K | |
| 5 | Beadle County | Low | 5.42 / yr | $321K | |
| 6 | Lincoln County | Low | 5.95 / yr | $471K | |
| 7 | Brookings County | Low | 3.37 / yr | $343K | |
| 8 | Lake County | Very Low | 4.32 / yr | $236K | |
| 9 | Codington County | Very Low | 2.63 / yr | $234K | |
| 10 | Roberts County | Very Low | 2.58 / yr | $146K | |
| 11 | Moody County | Very Low | 3.68 / yr | $171K | |
| 12 | Todd County | Very Low | 3.26 / yr | $90K | |
| 13 | Union County | Very Low | 6.47 / yr | $234K | |
| 14 | Oglala Lakota County | Very Low | 1.39 / yr | $85K | |
| 15 | Hughes County | Very Low | 4.32 / yr | $223K | |
| 16 | Grant County | Very Low | 2.68 / yr | $217K | |
| 17 | Deuel County | Very Low | 2.84 / yr | $209K | |
| 18 | Clay County | Very Low | 6.58 / yr | $215K | |
| 19 | Charles Mix County | Very Low | 6.32 / yr | $94K | |
| 20 | Hamlin County | Very Low | 3.00 / yr | $160K | |
| 21 | Davison County | Very Low | 6.05 / yr | $110K | |
| 22 | Tripp County | Very Low | 4.05 / yr | $67K | |
| 23 | Hutchinson County | Very Low | 6.32 / yr | $114K | |
| 24 | Meade County | Very Low | 1.09 / yr | $123K | |
| 25 | Dewey County | Very Low | 2.84 / yr | $47K | |
| 26 | Day County | Very Low | 2.47 / yr | $65K | |
| 27 | Bon Homme County | Very Low | 6.47 / yr | $119K | |
| 28 | Lyman County | Very Low | 4.89 / yr | $53K | |
| 29 | Spink County | Very Low | 4.47 / yr | $105K | |
| 30 | Kingsbury County | Very Low | 4.21 / yr | $118K | |
| 31 | Jackson County | Very Low | 3.26 / yr | $33K | |
| 32 | McCook County | Very Low | 5.53 / yr | $91K | |
| 33 | Turner County | Very Low | 6.16 / yr | $76K | |
| 34 | Walworth County | Very Low | 2.74 / yr | $44K | |
| 35 | Corson County | Very Low | 2.42 / yr | $30K | |
| 36 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 0.17 / yr | $46K | |
| 37 | Marshall County | Very Low | 2.53 / yr | $44K | |
| 38 | Clark County | Very Low | 3.21 / yr | $62K | |
| 39 | Hanson County | Very Low | 5.95 / yr | $30K | |
| 40 | Faulk County | Very Low | 3.89 / yr | $26K | |
| 41 | Bennett County | Very Low | 2.00 / yr | $22K | |
| 42 | Ziebach County | Very Low | 2.26 / yr | $20K | |
| 43 | Buffalo County | Very Low | 4.79 / yr | $27K | |
| 44 | Mellette County | Very Low | 3.74 / yr | $21K | |
| 45 | Brule County | Very Low | 5.79 / yr | $33K | |
| 46 | Hand County | Very Low | 4.53 / yr | $43K | |
| 47 | Butte County | Very Low | 0.68 / yr | $30K | |
| 48 | Fall River County | Very Low | 0.96 / yr | $20K | |
| 49 | Sanborn County | Very Low | 5.89 / yr | $42K | |
| 50 | McPherson County | Very Low | 2.63 / yr | $19K | |
| 51 | Edmunds County | Very Low | 3.21 / yr | $37K | |
| 52 | Stanley County | Very Low | 3.84 / yr | $35K | |
| 53 | Haakon County | Very Low | 3.00 / yr | $22K | |
| 54 | Miner County | Very Low | 5.05 / yr | $44K | |
| 55 | Douglas County | Very Low | 6.26 / yr | $29K | |
| 56 | Potter County | Very Low | 3.16 / yr | $23K | |
| 57 | Hyde County | Very Low | 4.16 / yr | $15K | |
| 58 | Gregory County | Very Low | 5.84 / yr | $19K | |
| 59 | Aurora County | Very Low | 6.05 / yr | $16K | |
| 60 | Jerauld County | Very Low | 5.68 / yr | $11K | |
| 61 | Sully County | Very Low | 3.79 / yr | $17K | |
| 62 | Perkins County | Very Low | 1.11 / yr | $12K | |
| 63 | Jones County | Very Low | 3.95 / yr | $11K | |
| 64 | Campbell County | Very Low | 2.53 / yr | $12K | |
| 65 | Custer County | Very Low | 0.38 / yr | $8K | |
| 66 | Harding County | Very Low | 0.53 / yr | $4K |
66 South Dakota counties with measurable heat wave risk. See the national heat wave ranking or all South Dakota counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota county has the highest heat wave risk?
Minnehaha County has the highest FEMA heat wave risk score in South Dakota at 87.2 (Medium), with $3M in expected annual losses and about 5.58 events per year.
How many South Dakota counties face significant heat wave risk?
66 South Dakota counties record measurable heat wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.