Tornado Risk in Codington County, SD
How likely is a tornado in Codington County, SD?
34 tornado tracks have crossed Codington County since 1951 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 2.2 years - the Elevated band on this site's scale. That is the 74th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Within South Dakota alone, Codington County ranks 22 of 66 counties for tornado frequency.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Codington County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 34 recorded tracks, 27 were weak (EF0-1) and 6 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
South Dakota does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a Codington County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
Power loss after a tornado outbreak in South Dakota often reaches homes the storm itself never touched. A battery-backup unit covers the outage without the fuel and venting a generator needs.
What Codington County's figure does not tell you
Codington County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Codington County covers about 688 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. Codington County has about 29,278 residents.