Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high 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 Plainfield?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves60%Inland flooding22%Drought6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Cold waves

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage

Recorded about 26 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Plainfield flood?

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

Disasters that hit Plainfield

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Brule County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$13K to the Township of Plainfield for repairs

2011

Flooding

$4K to the Township of Plainfield for repairs

2010

Flooding

$1K to the Township of Plainfield for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1K to the Township of Plainfield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$4K to the Township of Plainfield for repairs

Brule County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Plainfieldmostly cold wavesHigh

Kimballmostly cold wavesHigh

Wilburmostly cold wavesHigh

Willow Lakemostly cold wavesHigh

White Lakemostly cold wavesModerate

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