5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Bennett County, South Dakota. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
2 NOAA storm reports from Bennett County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornado, And Flooding | May 24, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Nov 5, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | May 1, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 18, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
12 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 7 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $750,000 |
| Flood | Mar 22, 2019 | $500,000 |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2019 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2019 | $80,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2015 | $2,000 |
| Flood | May 23, 2008 | — |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2008 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 22, 2019. A powerful storm system slowly moved from the Four Corners region northeastward through the Plains, leading to a prolonged period of precipitation across western South Dakota May 20-22. This three day period was among the coldest, wettest, and snowiest on record for late May, with several temperature and precipitation records set. Runoff from the rain and melting snow led to flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying a…
Flood · Mar 22, 2019. Runoff from snowmelt and ice jams caused flooding along many creeks and rivers across south central South Dakota.
Flood · Jul 16, 2019. Runoff from heavy rainfall caused flooding across parts of Bennett County.
Flash Flood · Aug 11, 2019. A severe thunderstorm stalled over east central Oglala Lakota County, producing locally large hail and very heavy rainfall. Runoff from three to five inches of rain caused flash flooding across parts of eastern Oglala Lakota County into western Bennett County.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Bennett County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.