Jerauld County, SD Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 501 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.3M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 501
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 1
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 9.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 50.4 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 64.0 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.1B · Agriculture value exposed: $145M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $4.8M
Risk by hazard
- WildfireRelatively Low$198K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 634 years
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$1.9M/yr expected annual loss, about 8.3 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$320K/yr expected annual loss, about 16 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$142K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HailRelatively Low$216K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.4 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$42.8K/yr expected annual loss, about 16 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$291/yr expected annual loss, about once every 14 years
- TornadoVery Low$255K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Strong windVery Low$98.1K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$8,929/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,494 years
- Heat waveVery Low$10.6K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.7 events a year
- LightningVery Low$9,066/yr expected annual loss, about 35 events a year
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 1 of 2,118 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
Storm history
Since 1996: 501 events, 1 death, $34M in damage
- Hail105
- Winter Weather79
- Thunderstorm Wind70
- Drought48
- High Wind43
- Blizzard36
- Winter Storm24
- Cold/Wind Chill18
- Excessive Heat15
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill13
Events per year
16 tornadoes on record (EF1 2, EF2 3, EF4 1, F0 6, F1 2).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Dense Fog01/26/2024
Jerauld
1 death
What happened
On January 26, a young girl was crossing South Dakota Highway 34 about 10 miles west of Wessington Springs to board a school bus when she was struck by a vehicle. The vehicle engaged its breaks when flashing lights on the bus became more visible in dense fog and then slid on the icy road, hitting the young girl. The girl sustained serious, life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries (indirect fatality) on February 6.
- Flood06/01/2019
Crow Lake, Jerauld County
$9M damage
What happened
During crop planting season, prolonged flooding led to the loss of or inability to plant crops across the area. Crop loss estimates provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Drought09/20/2022
Jerauld
$8.6M damage
What happened
Precipitation at Wessington Springs was around 10 percent of normal, with temperatures of 4 to 5 degrees above normal during September. Severe (D2) drought conditions developed through the final third of the month. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- TornadoEF2, 2.22 mi path, 200 yd wide06/19/2014
Wessington Spgs, Jerauld County
1 injured, $5.2M damage
What happened
A tornado damaged at least 43 homes in Wessington Springs, making at least 26 of them uninhabitable. The tornado also destroyed at least 3 businesses and damaged 9 others. The tornado also caused considerable damage to power lines, power poles, and trees, resulting in power outages to the entire town. Vehicles and signs were also damaged. The damage included an estimated 1.2 million dollars in damage to public infrastructure. There were no reported fatalities and one minor injury. The tornado also caused an unknown amount of damage to corn and soybean crops.
- Drought07/01/2023
Jerauld
$3M damage
What happened
Severe (D2) drought conditions improved to moderate (D1) conditions during late July. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- TornadoEF4, 11.26 mi path, 880 yd wide06/19/2014
Lane, Jerauld County
2 injured, $300K damage
What happened
A tornado severely damaged two family farms, including destroying a farmhouse as the family took shelter in their basement. A couple in the house suffered minor injuries.The tornado also damaged trees, power poles, and power lines; and caused an unknown amount of crop damage. The tornado crossed briefly into Beadle County before lifting.
Drinking water
3 community water systems serve about 3,857 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Aurora-Brule Rural Water SystemServes 2,750 · Surface water · PrivateNo health violations
- Wessington SpringsServes 895 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+2 monitoring or reporting
- AlpenaServes 212 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Jerauld County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Jerauld County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk10 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Jerauld County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Jerauld County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.3M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively low), cold wave (relatively moderate), drought (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Jerauld County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 501 storm events affecting Jerauld County, most often hail (105), winter weather (79), thunderstorm wind (70).
- How many tornadoes have hit Jerauld County?
- 16 tornadoes have been recorded in Jerauld County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Jerauld County have flood insurance?
- 1 residential flood insurance policy is in force in Jerauld County, covering about 0.1% of homes.
- What is the weather like in Jerauld County?
- At Wessington Springs, average highs reach 84°F in Jul and lows fall to 7°F in Jan, with 25.7 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.