States › South Dakota › Lake County
Lake County, South Dakota
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 664 storm events in Lake County, South Dakota, led by winter storms and snow.
That is 118.0 events per 100 square miles, above the South Dakota figure of 73.7, and 611.9 per 10,000 residents against 624.1 statewide.
22 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 2 deaths and 4 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $14M and crop damage at $36M.
FEMA has designated the county in 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (major disaster, 15 Aug 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 291 claims since 1978, of which 258 were paid, totalling $7.7M (about $30K per paid claim). FEMA counts 139 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($12M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with South Dakota and the United States
| Measure | Lake County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 664 | 55,877 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 118.0 | 73.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 611.9 | 624.1 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 22 | 2,303 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 2 | 147 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $14M | $1.1B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 26.8 | 4.5 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $30K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 105.0 | 30.7 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 433 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 187 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2012 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 14 Feb 2020 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Feb 2023 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $500K | — | — | 3 | Forecast zone |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | — | $27M | — | — | County |
| 17 Jan 1996 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $40K | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 1 Jul 2021 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $3.9M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Apr 2019 | Blizzard | Winter | — | $2.9M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Aug 1992 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.4M | $130K | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2000 | Hail | Hail | 4.00 in | $500K | $1.0M | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2021 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $1.5M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Aug 2021 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $1.2M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Jun 2024 | Flood | Flood | — | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 2023 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $732K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Jul 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 79 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Oct 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 81 mph | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | $310K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1970 | Tornado | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2021 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $220K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Jun 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 75 mph | $200K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug 2024 | DR-4807 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 29 Jun 2022 | DR-4656 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 5 Apr 2020 | DR-4527 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3475 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 18 Nov 2019 | DR-4469 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 Jun 2019 | DR-4440 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2011 | DR-1984 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 2 Nov 2010 | DR-1947 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2010 | DR-1915 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 22 May 2007 | DR-1702 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2005 | EM-3234 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 7 Apr 1997 | DR-1173 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,Heavy Rains High Winds | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 28 Feb 1997 | DR-1161 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 10 Jan 1997 | DR-1156 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Blizzard Conditions | Public assistance |
| 5 Jan 1996 | DR-1075 | Major disaster | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 26 May 1995 | DR-1052 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Jul 1993 | DR-999 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Jul 1984 | DR-717 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 17 Jun 1976 | EM-3015 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
| 18 Apr 1969 | DR-257 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 146 | 139 | $6,392,627 | $45,990 |
| 2012 | 39 | 36 | $440,672 | $12,241 |
| 2011 | 5 | 3 | $35,090 | $11,697 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | $2,315 | $2,315 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2001 | 4 | 2 | $16,760 | $8,380 |
| 1997 | 39 | 35 | $393,825 | $11,252 |
| 1993 | 43 | 37 | $419,328 | $11,333 |
| 1986 | 5 | 1 | $1,248 | $1,248 |
| 1984 | 3 | 2 | $1,472 | $736 |
| 1983 | 1 | 1 | $270 | $270 |
| 1982 | 2 | 1 | $300 | $300 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $4,439,260 | |
| Tornado | $3,109,962 | |
| Cold wave | $1,907,406 | |
| Hail | $570,412 | |
| Strong wind | $529,505 | |
| Ice storm | $389,543 | |
| Winter weather | $265,699 | |
| Heat wave | $235,805 | |
| Drought | $139,414 | |
| Wildfire | $65,498 | |
| Earthquake | $36,040 | |
| Lightning | $27,010 | |
| Landslide | $286 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Lake County, SD?
NCEI records 150 hail events in Lake County since 1950, in 36 different years; that is about 1.9 recorded events a year. 19 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Lake County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 24 tornadoes in Lake County since 1950, 7 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Lake County?
15 Aug 2024: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 20 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Lake County, and how much was paid?
291 NFIP claims since 1978, 258 of them paid, for $7.7M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Lake County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Lake County compare with the rest of South Dakota?
118.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 73.7 statewide, and 26.8 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 4.5. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.