Is Lincoln County, SD in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Lincoln County's flood hazard at the 56.6th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 2.7 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Lincoln County
18.2% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Lincoln County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 26 policies against 143 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Lincoln County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.3% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Lincoln County compares nationally
Lincoln County sits at rank 1427 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 750 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Lincoln County, South Dakota is home to about 75,244 people across 577.293 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Lincoln County
Across all of Lincoln County's 21,404 residential structures, 65 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Lincoln County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.