Natural hazards · White

White, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes23%Cold waves13%Hail7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What White faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Brookings County.

Disasters that hit White

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhiteDeclared for Brookings County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

$11K to the City of White for repairs

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

Around White

White and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whitemostly inland floodingModerate

Aftonmostly inland floodingModerate

Shermanmostly inland floodingModerate

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