Enter any address in Buffalo County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is a significant flood character in Buffalo County. Between 1996 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 11 flood events and 7 flash flood events in the county. For example, on June 20, 2024, thunderstorms produced 3.56 inches of rain near Shelby, leading to flooding. Earlier, on March 25, 2019, a combination of winter snowmelt, ice jams, and heavy rains caused rivers and creeks to flood, impacting roads, culverts, and some structures.
Homeowners in Buffalo County should pay close attention to flood risk, particularly those residing in areas identified by FEMA as having higher flood risk. Properties located near rivers and creeks, as well as homes situated in zones without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), are most vulnerable to the impacts of both flash flooding and riverine flooding.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
4 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Buffalo County, South Dakota has recorded 18 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 7 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 17, 2015 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 2, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | 134.00K |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | 17.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2010 | 25.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 20, 2024
Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced flooding across a broad swath of Lyman, Buffalo and Hand counties. In Lyman county, 7.46 inches was observed at a weather station 6 miles south southwest of Oacoma, while the South Dakota State University mesonet station near Oacoma recorded 5.51 inches. A CoCoRaHS observer 5 miles west southwest of Oacoma also observed 4.79 inches. In nearby Buffalo c...
Flood — Mar 25, 2019
Much above normal winter snowfall and melt water/ice jams along with heavy rains in the middle of March brought flooding across parts of central and northeast South Dakota for late March. Rivers and creeks flooded across much of the area along with many fields and roads. The flooding damaged many of the roads and culverts across the region. Some structures were also flooded. Lake levels also ro...
Flood — May 1, 2019
March and April snowmelt and heavy rain flooding along with above normal May precipitation resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of crops damaged or delayed/unplanted across central and northeast South Dakota. The widespread flooding continued into June with millions of dollars of loss.
Flood — Jun 1, 2019
Spring snowmelt and heavy rain flooding from March, April, and May continued into June. This combined with above normal June rainfall resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of crops damaged or unplanted across central and northeast South Dakota. For the entire state of South Dakota, nearly 4 million acres of crops were left unplanted as a result of the flooding. Total damaged or unplanted c...
Flood — Apr 1, 2019
The continuation of snowmelt from a much above normal snowfall winter combined with a historic heavy snow/blizzard in mid-April resulted in widespread flooding across central and northeast South Dakota. Countless roads along with thousands of acres of cropland were flooded throughout April. Impacts include damaged roads, culverts, and bridges, and livestock, homes, and businesses were affected....
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Buffalo County, South Dakota:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Buffalo County, South Dakota that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.