3 flood insurance claims·$5,206 paid·9 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 Faulk 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.
Spring snowmelt and recurring heavy seasonal floods dominate the flood history of Faulk County, South Dakota, accompanied by occasional flash flooding from summer thunderstorms over the last 30 years. NOAA records document significant flooding in March and April 2019, caused by above-normal winter snowfall combined with rapid meltwater, ice jams, and heavy spring rains that flooded fields, roads, culverts, and some structures. A subsequent major flood event occurred in April 2023 following an exceptionally deep snowpack that melted rapidly under abnormally warm spring conditions. Summer storms also present risks, as demonstrated in July 2>**022 when thunderstorms dropped localized rainfall totals of up to 5.5 inches.
Federal flood insurance claims in Faulk County are concentrated entirely in moderate-to-low risk Zone X and unshaded Zone X areas. Residents and property owners in these Zone X designations should pay attention to flood risk, as historical claims in these zones reflect property damage despite recorded water depth averages of 0 inches per claim.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6 NOAA storm reports from Faulk County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Flooding | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Severe Storm | Jun 7, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 12 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 10, 2023 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | $121,100 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
Flash Flood · Jul 7, 2022. Thunderstorms produced isolated severe weather and heavy rainfall. A wind gust of 62 mph was observed one mile east-southeast of Bowdle, and quarter-size hail was reported one mile west of Zell. A measured rainfall amount of 5.5 inches by the public occurred one mile southeast of Loyalton. Estimated 3.50 inches of rain was reported at Bowdle, as well as 3 inches at Selby, Roscoe, and Miranda. Funnel clouds were re…
Flood · Mar 25, 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 rose threatening homes…
Flood · May 1, 2019. March and April snowmelt and heavy rain flooding along with above normal May precipitation resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of crops damaged or delayed/unplanted across central and northeast South Dakota. The widespread flooding continued into June with millions of dollars of loss.
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 Faulk 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.