Pennington County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Pennington County has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Straight-Line Winds in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Pennington County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, hail, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 35% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Pennington County has been designated in 21 declarations since 1965, covering 7 disaster types including flood (6), fire (5), severe storm (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Fire | Auburn Fire |
| 2021 | Fire | Schroeder Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| 2005 | Fire | Sd Skyline #2 Fire 7/16/05 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 21 total declarations since 1965.
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 Moderate | 97.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 75.6 | 32 | 0 | $4.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.9 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61 | 4 | 0 | $100K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.9 | 631 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 30.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.2 | 5 | 0 | $70K |
| Drought | Very Low | 25.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 6.4 | — | — | — |
| 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
Pennington County ranks in the 55th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 55th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 39th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 43rd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 55th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 81st | 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 | 85th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 84th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 39.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 672 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 407 in 2016–20 vs 265 in 2021–25 (-35% — 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 Pennington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Pennington County, South Dakota are wildfire, hail, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Pennington County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Pennington County has received 21 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Pennington County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Pennington County include Straight-Line Winds (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Pennington County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Oglala Lakota County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Jackson County, SD has the lowest (Very Low). Pennington County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Pennington County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Pennington 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. Pennington County's composite score of 79 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 79% of US counties.