FEMA rates relative cold wave risk for Pennington County as very high and reports FEMA annualized frequency of 0.928 per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for Pennington County reports FEMA annualized frequency of 0.928 per year for cold wave. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is very high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for Pennington County.
Cold Wave
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
99.6/100
Occurrence thresholds vary by hazard. The FEMA methodology defines the value for each hazard.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across Pennington County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For Rapid City, FEMA rates cold wave risk for Pennington County as very high, with a relative score of 99.6/100. The next highest relative scores are wildfire at 97.7/100 and hail at 97.6/100.
Using FEMA data for Pennington County, Rapid City is #2 among 2 covered South Dakota entries for cold wave risk.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Rapid City? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Rapid City. All FEMA figures on this page cover Pennington County.
The FEMA figures cover Pennington County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative cold wave risk for Pennington County as very high. Its FEMA annualized frequency is 0.928 per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 2 South Dakota cities covered by this directory, Rapid City is #2 for relative cold wave risk based on FEMA's score for Pennington County. Homes within Rapid City can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for Pennington County, the highest relative ratings are Cold Wave (Very High), Wildfire (Relatively High), and Hail (Relatively High). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover Pennington County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives Pennington County an overall relative risk rating of relatively moderate. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Confirm the exact hazard using official local maps before making property or insurance decisions. Know how local officials issue warnings and evacuation instructions. Use Ready.gov Be Informed and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Limited to products tagged for cold wave or general preparedness.
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View productHazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.