Todd County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Todd County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1976, most recently Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm in 2023. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Todd County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, winter weather, and cold wave, 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 elevated (95th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Todd County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1976, covering 7 disaster types including flood (4), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2009 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2001 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Ice Jams |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 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 | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 28.3 | 5 | 0 | $600K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.4 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 41.7 | 4 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 54.6 | 70 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 57.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 28.4 | 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
Todd 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 | 96th | High |
| Household characteristics | 30th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 100th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 99th | 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 | 86th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 72.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 79 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 43 in 2016–20 vs 36 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 Todd County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Todd County, South Dakota are wildfire, winter weather, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Todd County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Todd County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1976, including declarations in 2023. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).
Has Todd County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Todd County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm in 2023.
How does Todd County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Tripp County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Jones County, SD has the lowest (Very Low). Todd County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Todd County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Todd 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. Todd County's composite score of 37 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 37% of US counties.