Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0Eagle Butte’s building-damage rate from wildfire is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eagle Butte gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then wildfire (15%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Eagle Butte 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
Wildfire
Hail
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.
What’s behind Eagle Butte’s grade
River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Eagle Butte, and Eagle Butte’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 15%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Eagle Butte’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.7M a year in losses across Eagle Butte: $283K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Eagle Butte flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Eagle Butte. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Eagle Butte
Disasters that paid out in Eagle Butte itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Eagle Butte), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding41 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 122 households applied for aid$379K aid approved
Dewey County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Eagle Butte after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Eagle Butte archive →Eagle Butte and its neighbors
Eagle Butte is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Eagle Butte | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Eagle Butte | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
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 Eagle Butte 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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 Eagle Butte
Is Eagle Butte at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eagle Butte has lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and wildfire (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Eagle Butte 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.
How much is flood insurance in Eagle Butte?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Eagle Butte’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 Eagle Butte?
By FEMA money that reached Eagle Butte, (): 122 households applied for aid, $379K approved.
Is Eagle Butte at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Eagle Butte’s rate for it is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Eagle Butte.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Eagle Butte’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.