13 flood insurance claims·$14,317 paid·8 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 Butte 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.
Flooding driven primarily by standard riverine floods and summer flash floods defines the hazard profile of Butte County, South Dakota. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 20 flood events and 6 flash flood events, which resulted in 1 death.
Historical events illustrate these risks. In May 2019, a prolonged period of precipitation, cold temperatures, and snowmelt from a powerful storm system led to the flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and roads across the region. Additionally, heavy rainfall on saturated ground caused flash flooding in parts of the county in May 2020 and July 2019.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest claim volume with 9 claims averaging a $2,194 payout and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. Properties located in Zone A, along with low-lying areas near creeks, rivers, and roads prone to runoff from heavy rainfall and snowmelt, should pay the closest attention to flood risks.
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 5 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.
The worst year was 2008, with 6 claims and $9,296 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
7 NOAA storm reports from Butte County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 11, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 30, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 13, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 11, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 6 flash floods and 20 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 16, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $750,000 |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 16, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2019 | $40,000 |
| Flood | May 29, 2018 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2014 | $100,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 16, 2020. Prolonged upslope rain showers with embedded thunderstorms dropped one to three inches of rain across northern Lawrence and southern Butte Counties. Runoff from the heavy rain, combined with saturated soils and locally steep terrain, led to flooding in southern Butte County.
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…
Flash Flood · Jul 21, 2019. A severe thunderstorm tracked eastward from northeastern Wyoming across southern Butte and northwestern Meade Counties. The storm produced hail and strong wind gusts. Runoff from heavy rainfall overnight on already saturated ground caused flooding across parts of northeastern Butte County.
Flood · Jul 16, 2019. Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused flooding in eastern Butte 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 Butte 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.