States › South Dakota › Union County
Union 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 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 834 events for Union County, South Dakota, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 181.0 events per 100 square miles, above the South Dakota figure of 73.7, and 494.3 per 10,000 residents against 624.1 statewide.
36 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 18 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $69M and crop damage at $38M.
FEMA has designated the county in 19 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 443 claims since 1978, of which 201 were paid, totalling $7.6M (about $38K per paid claim). FEMA counts 199 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 "Relatively Low" ($16M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with South Dakota and the United States
| Measure | Union County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 834 | 55,877 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 181.0 | 73.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 494.3 | 624.1 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 36 | 2,303 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 147 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $69M | $1.1B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 26.3 | 4.5 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $38K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 12.1 | 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: 566 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 218 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2021 | Blizzard | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 19 Mar 2020 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | — | 11 | Forecast zone |
| 21 Jun 2024 | Flood | Flood | — | $55M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | $50K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | — | $11M | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2022 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $11M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Jul 1994 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $50K | $5K | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Apr 2004 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $2K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Oct 2023 | Winter Weather | Winter | — | — | — | — | 1 | Forecast zone |
| 1 Aug 2022 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $6.8M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 May 1993 | Hail | Hail | 3.00 in | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1990 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2020 | Lightning | Lightning | — | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 2023 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $2.2M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2022 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $2.1M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Jun 2014 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | $1.0M | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2019 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.2M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2022 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $710K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Jun 1994 | Hail | Hail | 2.75 in | $5K | $500K | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1999 | Hail | Hail | 2.75 in | $300K | $100K | — | — | 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 | Individual assistance, 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 | Public assistance |
| 23 Sep 2019 | DR-4463 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 7 Jun 2019 | DR-4440 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 28 Jul 2014 | DR-4186 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2013 | DR-4125 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornado, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2011 | DR-1984 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Nov 2010 | DR-1947 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 23 Sep 2010 | DR-1938 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2010 | DR-1915 | Major disaster | Flood | 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 |
| 10 Jan 1997 | DR-1156 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Blizzard Conditions | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | 14 | $2,270,672 | $162,191 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | $17,215 | $17,215 |
| 2019 | 8 | 8 | $180,236 | $22,530 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | $13,619 | $13,619 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2014 | 22 | 17 | $506,421 | $29,789 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2011 | 366 | 141 | $4,299,702 | $30,494 |
| 2010 | 3 | 2 | $85,254 | $42,627 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1996 | 18 | 14 | $151,040 | $10,789 |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1993 | 2 | 2 | $28,154 | $14,077 |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
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 | $8,528,705 | |
| Tornado | $3,443,617 | |
| Drought | $951,217 | |
| Hail | $916,983 | |
| Cold wave | $733,972 | |
| Wildfire | $447,485 | |
| Strong wind | $345,966 | |
| Ice storm | $272,378 | |
| Winter weather | $256,468 | |
| Heat wave | $234,205 | |
| Lightning | $164,218 | |
| Earthquake | $27,947 | |
| Landslide | $670 |
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 Union County, SD?
NCEI records 160 hail events in Union County since 1950, in 41 different years; that is about 2.1 recorded events a year. 34 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Union County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 24 tornadoes in Union County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Union County?
15 Aug 2024: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 19 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Union County, and how much was paid?
443 NFIP claims since 1978, 201 of them paid, for $7.6M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Union 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, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Union County compare with the rest of South Dakota?
181.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 73.7 statewide, and 26.3 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 29 Sep 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 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.