Safest places to live in South Dakota from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in South Dakota is in Aurora County, Beadle County, Bennett County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Lincoln County, driven by tornado. This page ranks every South Dakota county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in South Dakota
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora County | Low | none rated high |
| Beadle County | Low | none rated high |
| Bennett County | Low | none rated high |
| Bon Homme County | Low | none rated high |
| Buffalo County | Low | none rated high |
| Butte County | Low | none rated high |
| Campbell County | Low | none rated high |
| Charles Mix County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in South Dakota
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | Elevated | tornado |
| Minnehaha County | Elevated | tornado |
| Brown County | Moderate | tornado |
| Dewey County | Moderate | none rated high |
| Brookings County | Low | tornado |
Dominant perils in South Dakota
Across South Dakota, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are tornado. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any South Dakota address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.