Enter any address in Codington County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is a significant concern in Codington County. Between 2024 and 2054, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 76 flood events and 12 flash flood events. For example, on June 25, 2024, heavy rainfall led to washed-out roads and water reaching home foundations near Milbank. Another event on July 28, 2024, also involved heavy rainfall contributing to storm impacts.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone X have experienced the most claims over the past 30 years. Zone A properties, on average, saw slightly higher payouts and water depths compared to Zone X. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X, particularly those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) or located near waterways, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
46 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Codington County, South Dakota has recorded 88 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 12 flash floods and 76 river or area floods. The county has received 23 federal disaster declarations, 11 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 9, 2023 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 12, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 19, 2013 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 10, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 28, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 23, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jul 28, 2025
An afternoon thunderstorm developed near the town of Henry and very quickly spun up a violent tornado. This tornado would cause significant damage to a farmstead before dissipating. The storm would go on to produce large hail, up to the size of baseballs near Lake Kampeska, with numerous additional reports of golf-ball sized hail, in and around the city of Watertown. The Watertown Automated Sur...
Flood — Jun 26, 2025
On June 25th, multiple thunderstorms from the morning into the early afternoon caused flooding in parts of northeast South Dakota. A CoCoRaHS observer 4 miles south-southeast of Milbank recorded 3.33 inches of rain, while the COOP observer in Milbank measured 3.25 inches. Grant County Emergency Management sent photos of washed-out roads, and a resident near Ortley documented water reaching a ho...
Flood — Jul 23, 2025
Heavy precipitation on July 23rd resulted in a steep increase in the river level of the South Branch Tributary of Mud Creek near Rauville.
Flood — Aug 23, 2025
Storms moved over portions of northeast South Dakota that had really no extra room for moisture from the preceding months of nearly constant rainfall. Thus, this moisture went straight into the Big Sioux and tributaries from the Watertown area down south to Castlewood. The COOP observer in Rauville would record 1.51 inches of rainfall pushing their monthly total up to 5.73 and a 3 month total o...
Flood — Aug 22, 2025
Storms moved over portions of northeast South Dakota that had really no extra room for moisture from the preceding months of nearly constant rainfall. Thus, this moisture went straight into the Big Sioux and tributaries from the Watertown area down south to Castlewood. The COOP observer in Rauville would record 1.51 inches of rainfall pushing their monthly total up to 5.73 and a 3 month total o...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Codington 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 Codington 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.