Enter any address in Hughes County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flood events, including flash floods, are the primary flood hazard in Hughes County. Recent events include urban flooding in Pierre following heavy downpours in August 2024, and widespread flooding in March and April 2019 caused by snowmelt, ice jams, and heavy rains, which impacted roads, culverts, and some structures.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that Zone A, typically areas with higher flood risk, has had the most claims. However, Zone X, generally considered moderate to low flood risk, has also seen a significant number of claims, with an average water depth of 1.0 foot in these instances, suggesting that properties outside of high-risk zones can still experience flooding. Homeowners and businesses in all flood zones, particularly those near rivers and creeks or in areas prone to urban flooding, should be aware of their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Hughes County, South Dakota has recorded 35 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 13 flash floods and 22 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 17, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 19, 2013 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 2, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Coastal Storm | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds | Flood | Feb 3, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 27, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 19, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | 184.60K |
Flash Flood — Aug 20, 2024
A slow moving storm and heavy downpour resulted in urban flooding within the city of Pierre. The COOP observer in town recorded 2.84 inches of rain, while the ASOS at the Airport recorded 1.68 inches during a 2 hour span. Pooling of water resulted in both streets and sidewalks under water in portions of the city.
Flood — Jul 29, 2020
Heavy rain brought some road flooding in Pierre for several hours.
Flood — May 31, 2019
Thunderstorms brought some isolated large hail along with some flooding to parts of central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours.
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...
Flood — May 22, 2019
Heavy rainfall caused the Bad River to go above and below the flood stage of 21 feet a couple times at the end of May. The first rise and fall was from the 22nd to the 23rd to 21.8 feet with the second flooding period from the 28th through the 29th. The flood stage is 21 feet.
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 Hughes 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 Hughes 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.