Data · South Dakota

South Dakota storm damage and disaster statistics

Compiled from NOAA and FEMA data, November 10, 2026 How the figures are built

In short

From 2016 to 2025 the National Weather Service logged 21,079 storm event reports in South Dakota, with property damage estimates totalling $255 million. That is the 36th highest of the 50 states and D.C.

Damaging wind was reported most often (7,337 reports). Flood accounted for the most reported damage ($207 million). FEMA has issued 45 major disaster declarations for South Dakota since 2000.

21,079

storm event reports, 2016–2025

$255M

property damage estimated in those reports

major disaster declarations since 2000

4,278

hail reports, 413 of two inches or larger

201

tornado reports, 25 rated EF2 or stronger

$37.0M

home damage verified by FEMA inspectors since 2002

Reported storm damage in South Dakota, year by year

Property damage estimated in National Weather Service storm reports for South Dakota. Not insured losses, and not adjusted for inflation.

Largest single damage estimate

$54.5 million

Flood, Union, 2024. Large events are recorded county by county, so one disaster can appear as several entries.

A quiet year on this chart can mean few damaging storms, or storms whose reports carried no damage estimate.

What hits South Dakota: reports and damage by type

Damaging wind 7,337
Winter weather 5,595
Hail 4,278
Flood 1,723
Tornado 201
Wildfire 26
Lightning 15

Storm event reports by type, 2016 to 2025.

Flood $207M
Tornado $19.4M
Winter weather $14.6M
Damaging wind $8.0M
Lightning $2.9M
Hail $2.6M

Property damage estimated in those reports, 2016 to 2025.

Federal disasters in South Dakota

FEMA has recorded 45 major disaster declarations, 5 emergency declarations and 19 fire management declarations for South Dakota since 2000.

The most recent major disaster declaration in this data is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (severe storm), declared September 1, 2026.

Some states change their rules on public adjuster fees and contracts after a declared disaster. See what a declaration changes.

Severe Storm 29
Flood 9
Winter Storm 3
Snowstorm 2
Straight-Line Winds 1
Biological 1

Major disaster declarations by cause since 2000.

Home damage FEMA has verified in South Dakota

After a declared disaster, homeowners can register with FEMA and have their home inspected. These are the totals for South Dakota since 2004.

13,708

homeowners registered, across 11 disasters

$37.0M

damage verified by FEMA inspectors

$33.2M

individual assistance FEMA approved for those owners

11,848

homes inspected

123

inspections that found more than $30,000 of damage

$3,125

average verified damage per inspected home

FEMA assistance is not insurance and is capped. It measures damage against its own habitability standard, and it counts only owners who registered and were inspected.

How South Dakota ranks

South Dakota compared with the other states and the District of Columbia
Measure	South Dakota	Rank of 51	In context
Storm event reports	21,079	6th	2280 per 100,000 residents
Reported property damage	$255 million	36th	$275 per resident
Hail reports	4,278	6th	413 of two inches or larger
Tornado reports	201	25th	25 rated EF2 or stronger
Major disaster declarations since 2000	45	11th	5 emergency declarations
FEMA-verified home damage since 2002	$37.0 million	41st	13,708 homeowners registered

If you have a claim in South Dakota

South Dakota questions

What causes the most storm damage in South Dakota?

Flood accounts for the most property damage in National Weather Service reports for South Dakota from 2016 to 2025: $207 million of a $255 million total. Damaging wind is the most frequently reported, with 7,337 reports.

How often does it hail in South Dakota?

The National Weather Service logged 4,278 hail reports in South Dakota from 2016 to 2025. 413 involved hail two inches or larger, and the largest reported stone measured 4.5 inches. One storm can produce several reports.

How many tornadoes does South Dakota get?

201 tornado segments were recorded in South Dakota from 2016 to 2025, and 25 were rated EF2 or stronger. A tornado that crosses a county line is recorded once per county.

How many federal disasters has South Dakota had?

FEMA records 45 major disaster declarations and 5 emergency declarations for South Dakota since 2000. The most common cause of a major disaster declaration was severe storm.

How much home damage has FEMA verified in South Dakota?

Since 2004, 13,708 homeowners in South Dakota registered with FEMA across 11 disasters. Inspectors verified $37.0 million in damage and FEMA approved $33.2 million in individual assistance. These figures cover only people who registered and were inspected.

Use this data

You are welcome to quote these figures and reuse the charts in news stories, research and blog posts. Please credit the page with a link.

PublicAdjuster.cc, "South Dakota storm damage and disaster statistics," https://publicadjuster.cc/data/south-dakota/. Compiled from the NOAA Storm Events Database and FEMA OpenFEMA data, November 10, 2026.

Download all states (CSV) How the figures are built

The underlying records are published by NOAA, FEMA and the U.S. Census Bureau. This product uses the FEMA 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).