Natural hazards · Brandon

Brandon, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brandon comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brandon?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brandon to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes37%Inland flooding33%Cold waves16%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Brandon faces

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

Tornadoes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Brandon flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brandon, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2019

$49Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Minnehaha County.

Disasters that hit Brandon

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Brandon itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Brandon.

Brought FEMA money into BrandonDeclared for Minnehaha County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $815K to the City of Brandon for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

26 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the City of Brandon for repairs

Minnehaha County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Brandon

Brandon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Brandonmostly tornadoesModerate

Brandonmostly tornadoesLow

Split Rockmostly tornadoesLow

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. Brandon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Brandon total about $3.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.