Natural hazards · Mitchell

Mitchell, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mitchell comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1984. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mitchell?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mitchell to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes31%Inland flooding29%Cold waves20%Strong wind8%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Mitchell faces

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

Tornadoes

31% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Mitchell flood?

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

16paid claims since 1984

$791Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19842026

Biggest named events

June Midwest Flooding: 4 claims, $642K
Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $14K
Severe flooding: 1 claim, $3K

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

No community discount. Mitchell 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Mitchell

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MitchellDeclared for Davison County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

414 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $33K to the City of Mitchell for repairs

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

385 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $50K to the City of Mitchell for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$73K to the City of Mitchell for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

28 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2005

Severe Winter Storm

$243K to the City of Mitchell for repairs

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

Around Mitchell

Mitchell and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Perrymostly inland floodingModerate

Badgermostly inland floodingModerate

Mitchellmostly 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. Mitchell covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mitchell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mitchell. 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 Mitchell total about $2.8M 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.