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Natural hazards · Madison

Madison, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Madison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 146 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Madison?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Madison to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes30%Cold waves19%Strong wind5%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Madison faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Cold waves

19% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Madison flood?

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

146paid claims since 1982
$3.4Mpaid to owners
18homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 31 claims, $320K
  • Severe flooding: 1 claim, $356

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Madison is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Lake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Madison

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MadisonDeclared for Lake County only
2022

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$430K to the City of Madison for repairs
2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

371 households applied for aid $926K aid approved $6.3M to the City of Madison for repairs
2011

Flooding

$3K to the City of Madison for repairs
2010

Flooding

$246K to the City of Madison for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$5K to the City of Madison for repairs
Lake County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Madison

Madison and the towns around it

Lake View: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHerman: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLe Roy: Moderate, mostly tornadoesWentworth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLake Madison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWinfred: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFarmington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOrland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNunda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRutland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMadison: Moderate, mostly inland flooding MadisonLake ViewHermanLe Roy
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lake Viewmostly inland floodingModerate
Madisonmostly inland floodingModerate
Hermanmostly inland floodingModerate
Le Roymostly tornadoesModerate
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. Madison covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Madison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Madison. 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 Madison total about $2.2M 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.

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