Natural hazards · Ethan

Ethan, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ethan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ethan?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ethan to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes18%Cold waves13%Drought12%Hail7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Ethan faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Drought

12% of expected damage

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 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 Ethan flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Davison County.

Disasters that hit Ethan

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EthanDeclared for Davison County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $32K aid approved $6K to the Town of Ethan for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$19K to the Town of Ethan for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2005

Severe Winter Storm

$6K to the Town of Ethan for repairs

Davison County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Ethan 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 Ethan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Ethan. 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.