6 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 Jackson 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 flash flooding driven by heavy rainfall, slow-moving storms, and seasonal snowmelt shape the flood risk profile, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 21 flood events and 9 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent history illustrates these recurring hazards. In May 2019, a prolonged, record-breaking storm system produced heavy rain and melting snow that caused flooding across creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and roads. Later, a prolonged rain event in May 2023 dropped three to five inches of rain—with nearly four inches falling in six hours—triggering flooding and flash flooding across the Cheyenne and White River basins, followed by minor flooding along the White River near and downstream from Interior in October 2023.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated near rivers, creeks, and low-lying areas that are vulnerable to overflow and rapid runoff during heavy precipitation events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4 NOAA storm reports from Jackson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 11, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 21 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Oct 13, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 12, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | $200,000 |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2019 | $250,000 |
| Flood | Jul 6, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Oct 13, 2023. A significant early Fall storm system brought soaking rains to southern and western portions of South Dakota. Minor flooding occurred along the White River in Jackson County, near and downstream from Interior.
Flood · May 12, 2023. A prolonged rain event over several days led to flooding and flash flooding over the Cheyenne and White River basins. Three to five inches of rain fell, with some locations receiving nearly four inches of rain within six hours on the evening of May 11. As the water flowed into larger rivers, minor flooding was observed.
Flash Flood · Jul 29, 2020. Slow moving and stationary thunderstorms with heavy rain resulted in flash flooding over portions of southwestern South Dakota.
Flood · May 27, 2019. Several days of heavy rain, along with major to record flooding the previous week, led to more flooding across portions of the western South Dakota plains and foothills of the Black Hills. The period of wet weather culminated with heavy rain and thunderstorms over the Rapid City area during the afternoon and evening of May 31, which led to widespread flooded roads.
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 Jackson 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.