Oglala Lakota County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Oglala Lakota County's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties. No federal disaster declarations are on record for this county.
Oglala Lakota County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, strong wind, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 39% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (95th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
No federal disaster declarations on record for Oglala Lakota County as of September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 19 | 15 | 0 | $602K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 25.4 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40.9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 57.2 | 104 | 0 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 11.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 71.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.2 | 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
Oglala Lakota County ranks in the 95th percentile (High) 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 | 95th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 100th | High |
| Household characteristics | 25th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 100th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 93rd | High |
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 | 96th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 96th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 74.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 121 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 75 in 2016–20 vs 46 in 2021–25 (-39% — 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 Oglala Lakota County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota are wildfire, strong wind, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
How does Oglala Lakota County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Pennington County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Dawes County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Oglala Lakota County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Oglala Lakota County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Oglala Lakota 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. Oglala Lakota County's composite score of 50 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 50% of US counties.