Natural hazards · Lake George

Lake George, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lake George comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate 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 Lake George?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lake George to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding39%Cold waves32%Tornadoes9%Drought8%Hail5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Lake George 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 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

32% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage

Recorded about 28 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% 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 Lake George flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Charles Mix County.

Disasters that hit Lake George

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Lake George itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Lake George.

Brought FEMA money into Lake GeorgeDeclared for Charles Mix County only

2011

Flooding

$7K to the Township of Lake George for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2K to the Township of Lake George for repairs

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

Around Lake George

Lake George and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pleasant Grovemostly cold wavesHigh

Eaglemostly cold wavesHigh

Lake Georgemostly inland floodingModerate

Forbesmostly inland floodingModerate

La Rochemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Lake George 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 Lake George’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lake George. 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.