Miner County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Miner County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1976, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Miner County's highest-rated hazards are drought, ice storm, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 16% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (22nd 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. Miner County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1976, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (8), flood (7), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And 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 |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2010 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2007 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 20 total declarations since 1976.
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 | Very Low | 40.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 4.2 | 4 | 0 | $668K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 9.8 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 11.9 | 15 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 26.6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 39.2 | 14 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 11.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 34.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 8.8 | 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
Miner County ranks in the 22nd 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 | 22nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 19th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 56th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 11th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 26th | Low |
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 | 38th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 39th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 69.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 35 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 19 in 2016–20 vs 16 in 2021–25 (-16% — frequency decreasing).
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 Miner County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Miner County, South Dakota are drought, ice storm, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Miner County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Miner County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1976, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (8 declarations).
Has Miner County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Miner County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1976.
How does Miner County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, McCook County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Sanborn County, SD has the lowest (Very Low). Miner County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Miner County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Miner 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. Miner County's composite score of 3 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 3% of US counties.