Natural disaster risk in Hughes County, South Dakota
South Dakota · population 17,751 · FIPS 46065
Overall: very low risk
Hughes County has a composite risk score of 16.5 out of 100 — higher than 16% of US counties. It ranks 36 of 66 in South Dakota (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, wildfire, ice storm.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 31.55% of Hughes County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 35 weeks in a row.
Drought in Hughes 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
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Very low 16.5 |
| Expected annual loss About $9.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 35 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 10.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 84.8 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Hughes County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 77 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 56 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 51 |
| Drought | Relatively low 40 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 26 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 23 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 32 |
| Heat wave | Very low 30 |
| Hail | Very low 27 |
| Landslide | Very low 19 |
| Lightning | Very low 18 |
| Earthquake | Very low 15 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Hughes County
Federal declarations that designated Hughes County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Hughes County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4938-SD (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 1 Sep 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4938-SD | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 1 Sep 2026 | 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 Hughes County, South Dakota?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Hughes County as very low, with a score of 16.5 out of 100 (higher than 16% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Hughes County?
The hazards rated highest for Hughes County are winter weather (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low), ice storm (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Hughes County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Hughes County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Hughes County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Hughes County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4938-SD (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 1 Sep 2026.
Is Hughes County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 31.55% of Hughes County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 35 weeks in a row.
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