Natural hazards · Garretson

Garretson, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Garretson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Garretson?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Garretson to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding35%Tornadoes31%Cold waves14%Hail5%Drought5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Garretson 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 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 12 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 Garretson flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Garretson 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 Garretson

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GarretsonDeclared for Minnehaha County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $891 aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

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

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