Enter any address in Douglas County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the primary flood concern in Douglas County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 13 flash flood events and 7 flood events. For example, a significant rainfall event in June 2024 brought widespread totals of 5 to over 15 inches, leading to major river flooding and extensive overland flooding. Another instance in March 2019 saw one to three inches of rain on frozen ground and snowpack result in considerable overland flooding, necessitating water rescues in areas around Yankton.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced claims. One claim in Zone A averaged a payout of $520 with an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Homeowners in areas prone to overland flooding, low-lying areas, and those located near streams and rivers should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
8 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Douglas County, South Dakota has recorded 20 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 13 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1976–2024)
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 Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Apr 8, 2013 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 2, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Nov 27, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | 582.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2020 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 670.00K |
| Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 21.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 10, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 13, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2014 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jun 21, 2024
A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches with pockets in excess of 15 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding al...
Flash Flood — Jun 9, 2020
Strong frontal forcing resulted in the redevelopment of elevated thunderstorms during the very early morning to the west of the band from the previous evening. Storms quickly became linear with the development of a couple of mesovortices, which were the focus of damaging winds while tracking northeast along the line. Heavy training rainfall brought areas of flooding.
Flash Flood — Jul 6, 2020
Lift associated with a jet streak across southern North Dakota interacted with an unstable and weakly capped environment with 30 to 40 knots of deep-layer shear to produce a couple of smaller clusters of thunderstorms with large hail and damaging wind during the evening and overnight which progressed east and southeast across southeast South Dakota. The final cluster was a larger-scale bowing ...
Flood — Mar 13, 2019
Rainfall of one to three inches on frozen ground and into a snow pack with between 2 and 5 inches of liquid water equivalent resulted in considerable overland flooding.||One of the hardest hit areas was around Yankton, where a No Travel Advisory was issued for the city on March 13-14. Businesses along north Highway 81 toward Yankton Mall had considerable ponding of water. Water rescues were n...
Flood — Sep 12, 2019
A frontal zone remained locked in place under southwest flow aloft as a series of mid-level waves moved across the region over a three day period. Widespread heavy rainfall resulted and amounts reached two-day records for several locations including Platte (6.29 inches), White Lake (6.28 inches), Bridgewater (8.05 inches), Montrose (5.63 inches), Alexandria (8.30 inches), Madison (7.63 inches)...
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 Douglas 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 Douglas 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.