Natural disaster risk in Charles Mix County, South Dakota

South Dakota · population 9,373 · FIPS 46023

Overall: relatively low risk

Charles Mix County has a composite risk score of 48.5 out of 100 — higher than 48% of US counties. It ranks 13 of 66 in South Dakota (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, drought, winter weather.

Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 52 weeks

Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 52.16% of Charles Mix County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 52 weeks in a row.

Drought in Charles Mix County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu

The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.

Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience

MeasureRating and score
Overall risk
Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience.
Relatively low 48.5
Expected annual loss
About $13.2 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards.
Very low 45.9
Social vulnerability
Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover.
Relatively high 61
Community resilience
Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover.
Relatively moderate 51.8

Risk by hazard

FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Charles Mix County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.

HazardRisk rating and score
Cold wave Relatively moderate 87
Drought Relatively moderate 85
Winter weather Relatively moderate 84
Hail Relatively moderate 76
Ice storm Relatively moderate 76
Wildfire Relatively low 76
Tornado Relatively low 55
Inland (riverine) flooding Relatively low 40
Strong wind Relatively low 30
Lightning Relatively low 28
Earthquake Very low 27
Heat wave Very low 26
Landslide Very low 17
Avalanche Not applicable
Coastal flooding Not applicable
Hurricane Not applicable
Tsunami Not applicable
Volcanic activity Not applicable

FEMA disaster declarations for Charles Mix County

Federal declarations that designated Charles Mix County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.

Yes. Charles Mix County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4807-SD (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding), declared 15 Aug 2024.

DeclarationKindIncidentDeclaredIndividual assistance here
DR-4807-SD Major disaster Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding 15 Aug 2024 No

All FEMA declarations in South Dakota, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.

How to read these ratings

  • Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
  • Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
  • Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
  • Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
  • Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
  • Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
  • "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).

About this data

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.

Questions

What is the natural disaster risk in Charles Mix County, South Dakota?

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Charles Mix County as relatively low, with a score of 48.5 out of 100 (higher than 48% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.

What are the biggest natural hazards in Charles Mix County?

The hazards rated highest for Charles Mix County are cold wave (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate).

What is the flood risk in Charles Mix County?

FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Charles Mix County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.

Has Charles Mix County had a FEMA disaster declaration?

Yes. Charles Mix County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4807-SD (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding), declared 15 Aug 2024.

Is Charles Mix County in a drought?

Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 52.16% of Charles Mix County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 52 weeks in a row.

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