Natural hazards · Yankton

Yankton, SD natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Yankton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1984. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Yankton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Yankton to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes30%Cold waves12%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Yankton faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Yankton flood?

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

15paid claims since 1984

$627Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19842026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 1 claim, $1K

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

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

Insurance rates: Yankton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Yankton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into YanktonDeclared for Yankton County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $200K aid approved

2019

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding

139 households applied for aid $245K aid approved $3.6M to the City of Yankton for repairs

2011

Flooding

87 households applied for aid $163K aid approved $103K to the City of Yankton for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the City of Yankton for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $500 aid approved

Yankton County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Yankton

Yankton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mission Hillmostly inland floodingHigh

Yanktonmostly inland floodingModerate

Uticamostly 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. Yankton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Yankton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Yankton. 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 Yankton total about $6.0M 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.