Natural hazards · Altoona

Altoona, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Altoona comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Altoona?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Altoona to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding35%Cold waves22%Drought13%Tornadoes10%Hail10%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Altoona faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Altoona flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Altoona.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Altoona isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Beadle County.

Disasters that hit Altoona

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Beadle County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Altoona itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into AltoonaDeclared for Beadle County only

Beadle County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Altoona

Altoona and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Altoonamostly inland floodingModerate

Hitchcockmostly inland floodingModerate

Bonillamostly inland floodingModerate

Pleasant Viewmostly inland floodingModerate

Belmontmostly inland floodingLow

Cornwallmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Altoona is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Altoona’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Altoona. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.