Natural hazards · White Butte

White Butte, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White Butte comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White Butte?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White Butte to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves41%Inland flooding29%Wildfire7%Strong wind6%Hail6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What White Butte faces

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

Cold waves

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 White Butte flood?

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

Disasters that hit White Butte

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into White ButteDeclared for Perkins County only

2009

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Township of White Butte for repairs

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

Around White Butte

White Butte and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

White Buttemostly cold wavesModerate

Libertymostly cold wavesModerate

Trailmostly cold wavesModerate

Clermontmostly cold wavesModerate

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