1 flood insurance claims·$25 paid·4 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 Fall River 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and general flooding events shape the flood risk in Fall River County, where the NOAA Storm Events Database records 16 flash flood events and 12 general flood events over the last 30 years.
Significant historical events illustrate these risks. A slow-moving storm system in May 2019 brought record-setting precipitation and melting snow that caused creeks, rivers, and low-lying areas to flood. Additionally, heavy rain in June 2015 triggered widespread flooding across southern Fall River County, overflowing Hat Creek, Horsehead Creek, and the Cheyenne River downstream of Angostura Reservoir. Heavy rain over the Myrtle Burn area in Wind Cave National Park also produced flash flooding along Cold Brook Creek and Argyle Road in August 2014.
Federal flood insurance data reflects limited historical payouts in mapped areas, with FEMA recording a single claim in Zone X_UNSHADED averaging $25 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Properties located near creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and southern tributaries should pay the most attention to flood risk given the documented history of overflow from these water sources.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
3 NOAA storm reports from Fall River County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1997, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Vineyard Fire | Aug 11, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 17, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 21, 2010 |
| Alabaugh Canyon Fire | Jul 7, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
28 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 12 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $200,000 |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | $50,000 |
| Flood | May 29, 2018 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 17, 2018 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Jun 6, 2015 | $65,000 |
| Flood | Jun 4, 2015 | $40,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2013 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
Flood · Jul 5, 2019. Runoff from heavy rainfall caused flooding across parts of southern Fall River County.
Flood · May 29, 2018. Heavy rain from thunderstorms over several days caused flooding over portions of Fall River County.
Flash Flood · May 17, 2018. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across parts of northwestern Fall River 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 Fall River 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.