Natural hazards · Rapid

Rapid, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rapid comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 35 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rapid?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding42%Cold waves17%Hail13%Wildfire10%Tornadoes6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Rapid faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Wildfire

10% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Rapid flood?

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

35paid claims since 1978

$270Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Rapid is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pennington County.

Disasters that hit Rapid

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RapidDeclared for Pennington County only

2025

Straight-Line Winds

$508K to the City of Rapid for repairs

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$32K to the City of Rapid for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$2.7M to the City of Rapid for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides and Mudslides

$38K to the City of Rapid for repairs

Pennington County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Rapid

Rapid and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Colonial Pine Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh

Rapid Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

Box Eldermostly inland floodingModerate

Rapid Citymostly inland floodingLow

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. Rapid covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rapid’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rapid. 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 Rapid total about $17.8M 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.