15 flood insurance claims·$192,538 paid·10 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 Clark 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 flooding events dominate the historical record in Clark County, accounting for 17 occurrences compared to 10 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Prolonged heavy rainfall from slow-moving low pressure systems and seasonal snowmelt contribute to local flood conditions. For instance, a slow-moving low pressure system generated prolonged heavy rain in July 2024, while above-normal seasonal snowfall and deep snowpack resulted in widespread flooding conditions in April 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims have been filed across multiple zones, with the highest volume occurring in moderate-to-low risk areas. Specifically, Zone X recorded 8 claims with an average payout of $17,486 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $29,250 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone A accounted for 2 claims with an average payout of $21,119 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $8,000 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay close attention to flood risk, as these areas have experienced the majority of historical insurance claims in the county.
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 3 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 1999, with 4 claims and $93,500 paid.
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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Clark County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 10 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Flooding | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 4, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
27 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 17 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 23, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 4, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2023 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Mar 26, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | $120,800 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jul 23, 2025. Multiple clusters of storms moved across portions of central, north central and northeast South Dakota on the morning of July 23rd. Many of these storms produced strong winds and wind related damage. A peak wind gust of 80 mph was observed by the South Dakota State University mesonet station near Lower Brule, while a peak wind gust of 76 mph was measured by the South Dakota Department of Transportation weather sta…
Flood · Jul 4, 2024. Slow moving low pressure generated a pocket of prolonged heavy rain over a portion of northeast South Dakota. Radar estimates of rainfall ranged between 2 and 5 inches in a broad area covering portions of Brown, Day, Clark and Codington counties, with public measurements of between 2.76 and 3.5 inches on the west side of Watertown, and an observed rainfall of 2.85 inches near Ferney. Portions of the Stokes-Thomas…
Flash Flood · Jun 2, 2024. Low pressure crossing from west to east across the state provided the support for numerous, widespread severe thunderstorms. The main threat from these storms was large hail, with several reports of hail at or greater than golfball size. Emergency management for Brown county observed hail from golfball to baseball size 3 miles north northwest of Barnard, and hail to the size of baseballs was observed at multiple l…
Flood · Apr 10, 2023. The snowfall during the season in northeast and central South Dakota exceeded normal levels, with many locations ranking among the top 10 for the snowiest seasons. Additionally, the late spring conditions were unusually cold, resulting in a persistent and exceptionally deep snowpack until early April. The depth of the snowpack ranged from 15 to 30 plus inches, containing approximately 4 to 8 inches of snow water e…
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 Clark 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.