Codington County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Codington County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Flooding in 2023. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Codington County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, winter weather, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 69% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (24th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Codington County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1969, covering 6 disaster types including flood (10), severe storm (8), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Flood | Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 total declarations since 1969.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 65.2 | 65 | 0 | $622K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 21.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 38.5 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 77 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 70.2 | 54 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 64.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 94.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.7 | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 36.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 24.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Codington County ranks in the 24th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 24th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 19th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 9th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 26th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 70th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 37th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 40th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 37.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 129 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 48 in 2016–20 vs 81 in 2021–25 (+69% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Codington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Codington County, South Dakota are ice storm, winter weather, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Codington County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Codington County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2023. The most common disaster type on record is flood (10 declarations).
Has Codington County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Codington County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Flooding in 2023.
How does Codington County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Day County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Clark County, SD has the lowest (Very Low). Codington County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Codington County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Codington County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Codington County's composite score of 62 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 62% of US counties.