Enter any address in Day County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is a significant flood character for Day County. Recent events include heavy rainfall on June 25th, 2025, which caused washed-out roads and water reaching home foundations near Milbank. Additionally, on August 17th, 2025, intense rainfall on top of wet conditions led to flooding across several counties, with significant rain recorded near Lake Poinsett and Claremont.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A and Zone UNKNOWN have experienced higher average payouts and water depths compared to Zone X and Zone X_UNSHADED. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone UNKNOWN, as well as those located near rivers or in low-lying areas, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Day County, South Dakota has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 11 flash floods and 25 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 10 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1976–2023)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Winter Storm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| 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 |
| 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 | Jun 26, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2023 | 150.00K |
| Flood | Mar 27, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 2, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | 104.30K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2014 | 0.00K |
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 — Aug 17, 2025
Brief but intense heavy rainfall from thunderstorms, on top of weeks of wet weather, resulted in additional flooding across Marshall, Hamlin, Codington, and Deuel counties starting on the 17th and persisting well into the 18th. An estimated 3 inches of rain fell in Lake Poinsett, while 1.63 inches was recorded by the COOP sensor 20 miles north northeast of Aberdeen, 1.62 inches was submitted b...
Flood — Aug 13, 2025
Two clusters of storms would move across the forecast area on the 13th into the early morning hours of the 14th. The day started with an isolated stronger storm generating 1 inch hail 6 miles north northeast of Lowry. That cluster would continue to move east and intensify, with 1.5 inch hail observed 8 miles east of Pierpont. These storms would damage siding and crops around Pierpont, with addi...
Flood — Apr 12, 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 in...
Flood — Mar 27, 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...
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 Day 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 Day 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.