Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Rapids City
Rapids City isn’t graded for hazard risk: Rapids City has 980 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1993.
What Rapids City faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Rapids City flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1993
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Rapids City, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $750
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $14K
Rapids City isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Rock Island County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Rapids City
Disasters that paid out in Rapids City itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Rapids City), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$47K to the Village of Rapids City for repairs
- 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$3K to the Village of Rapids City for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$8K aid approved$3K to the Village of Rapids City for repairs
- 2001Flooding$44K to the Village of Rapids City for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Rock Island County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Rapids City after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Rapids City archive →Rapids City and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Township | Cmore damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 243 |
| Port Byron | C−more damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
| Port Byron Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Rapids City faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Rapids City
Does Rapids City flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Rapids City since 1993, $42K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).
Is Rapids City in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Rock Island County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Rapids City?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Rapids City’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Rapids City?
By FEMA money that reached Rapids City, Severe Storms and Flooding (2019): $47K to the Village of Rapids City for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $750.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Rapids City.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Rapids City’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.