2 flood insurance claims·$24,184 paid·6 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 Bon Homme 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.
Standard river flooding dominates the flood profile of Bon Homme County, accounting for the vast majority of historical events compared to flash flooding. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 94 flood events alongside 13 flash flood events.
Recent history demonstrates the severity of these occurrences. A multi-day heavy rainfall event from June 20 to June 22, 2024, brought 5 to 10 inches of rain—with pockets exceeding 15 inches—causing major to record river flooding and extensive overland flooding that devastated area towns and communities. Additionally, an event in January 2024 caused elevated river levels and minor flooding from seasonal freeze-up and silt deposits.
Properties situated in unshaded Zone X areas should pay close attention to potential flood risks, as FEMA records show historical claims in this zone averaging $12,092 in payouts with an average recorded water depth of 7 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
24 NOAA storm reports from Bon Homme County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
32 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 12, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 2, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 4, 2007 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Nov 27, 2005 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds | Feb 3, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
107 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 94 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | $1.2M |
| Flood | Jan 11, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Oct 12, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 22, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches with pockets in excess of 15 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in signi…
Flood · Jun 21, 2024. A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches with pockets in excess of 15 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding also resulted in signi…
Flood · Jan 11, 2024. Elevated river levels out of the Niobrara River in north central Nebraska from seasonal freeze-up and silt deposit resulted in river levels at a few gages upstream of Gavins Point Dam pushing toward or above Action Stage. Impacts during the cold season from Minor Flooding are limited to seasonal cabins and recreation roads and thus cause minimal issues.
Flood · Jul 1, 2024. River levels from the historic June flooding remained above flood stage for some locations into July, although continued a declining trend.
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 Bon Homme 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.