Natural hazards · Canton

Canton, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2005. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canton to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes32%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Canton faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Canton flood?

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

9paid claims since 2005

$748Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20052026

Biggest named events

June Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $331K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Canton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CantonDeclared for Lincoln County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

285 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $1.1M to the City of Canton for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$50K to the City of Canton for repairs

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$145K to the City of Canton for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$3K to the City of Canton for repairs

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

Around Canton

Canton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cantonmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Canton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Canton. 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 Canton total about $3.3M 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.