Yankton County, SD
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Yankton County has experienced 16 federally declared disasters since 1976, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Yankton County's highest-rated hazards are drought, winter weather, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 22% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (20th 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. Yankton County has been designated in 16 declarations since 1976, covering 5 disaster types including flood (6), severe storm (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, 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 Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2007 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 16 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 Low | 75.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 57.3 | 49 | 0 | $31.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 29.3 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 63.4 | 22 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 85.4 | 45 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 78.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 93.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.8 | 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
Yankton County ranks in the 20th 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 | 20th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 6th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 19th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 36th | 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 | 43rd | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 46th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 48.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 116 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 65 in 2016–20 vs 51 in 2021–25 (-22% — 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 Yankton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Yankton County, South Dakota are drought, winter weather, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Yankton County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Yankton County has received 16 federal disaster declarations since 1976, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Yankton County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Yankton County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1976.
How does Yankton County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Hutchinson County, SD has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Bon Homme County, SD has the lowest (Very Low). Yankton County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Yankton County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Yankton 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. Yankton County's composite score of 63 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 63% of US counties.