Natural hazards · White Swan

White Swan, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White Swan comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White Swan?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White Swan to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves37%Inland flooding31%Tornadoes10%Drought7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What White Swan faces

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

Cold waves

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 24 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 White Swan flood?

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

1paid claims since 2019

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. White Swan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Charles Mix County.

Disasters that hit White Swan

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Charles Mix County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching White Swan itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into White SwanDeclared for Charles Mix County only

Charles Mix County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around White Swan

White Swan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mullenmostly inland floodingHigh

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

White Swanmostly cold wavesModerate

Goose Lakemostly cold wavesModerate

Highlandmostly cold wavesModerate

Wahehemostly cold wavesModerate

Plain Centermostly 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 Swan covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to White Swan’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of White Swan. 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 White Swan total about $4.7M 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.