1 flood insurance claims·$0 paid·3 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 Harding 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.
River flooding and standard flood events dominate the historical flood record in Harding County, accompanied by occasional flash flooding. Over a 30-year period, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 15 flood events and 5 flash flood events.
Spring storms and melting snow frequently drive riverine and overland flooding in the area. For example, a slow-moving storm system brought record-setting precipitation and melting snow that caused flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and roads across the region in May 2019. Additionally, melting snow from southeastern Montana caused minor flooding of pasture land along the Little Missouri River near Camp Crook in April 2018. During summer, slow-moving severe thunderstorms can also produce heavy rainfall; in July 2016, three to five inches of rain over the northern part of the county caused flooding on gravel roads between Ladner and Ludlow.
Historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records for the county show a single claim in Zone A, which recorded an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners located near rivers, creeks, and low-lying areas—particularly within Zone A—should pay the closest attention to flood risks in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
3 NOAA storm reports from Harding County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Mar 11, 2009 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Nov 5, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | May 1, 2008 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 18, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 15 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 24, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2016 | — |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2014 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2014 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2013 | $100,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 24, 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 · Mar 23, 2019. Minor flooding occurred along the Little Missouri River due to snowmelt and ice jams.
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 · Apr 12, 2018. Runoff from melting snow across southeastern Montana caused minor flooding along the Little Missouri River upstream and downstream of Camp Crook. Minor flooding of pasture land occurred along the river for a couple of days, with a peak flow of around 4800 cubic feet per second.
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 Harding 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.