5 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 Jones 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 and standard flooding events dominate the historical flood record in Jones County, accounting for 24 out of 26 total events over the last 30 years, alongside two flash flood events.
Recent history demonstrates multiple flood mechanisms in the area. In March 2019, above-normal snowpack melt and ice jamming caused flooding along the Bad River and other regional waterways, inundating fields, damaging roads and culverts, and flooding some structures. Later, heavy rain brought additional flooding to Murdo and the surrounding area in April 2024. Summer thunderstorms have also produced heavy rainfall, such as an event in August 2024 when emergency management and trained spotters estimated approximately 3.5 inches of rain.
Properties situated near rivers, creeks, and low-lying areas—as well as residents in locations vulnerable to snowmelt, ice jams, and heavy localized rainfall—should pay the closest attention to flood risks in Jones County.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
9 NOAA storm reports from Jones County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
24 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 And Snowstorm | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
26 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 24 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 15, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 23, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 21, 2024. Widespread, slow moving thunderstorms brought hail, gusty wnds and heavy rain to portions of central South Dakota on the afternoon and evening of August 21st. Hail to the size of tennis balls was observed by a trained spotter 4 miles northwest of Murdo. A peak wind speed of 65 mph was observed at a weather station 13 miles north northwest of Sansarc while the ASOS in Pierre peaked at 59 mph. Emergency management…
Flood · Apr 15, 2024. Low pressure south of the region helped generate isolated strong thunderstorms during the evening of April 15th into the early morning hours of April 16th. Two reported observations included wind gusts of 60 mph, one in Tolstoy as well as 3 miles southeast of Reliance. Additionally, hail to the size of quarters was observed in Gettysburg. Heavy rain was also responsible for flooding in parts of Murdo and the surro…
Flood · Jun 18, 2020. Heavy rains of 2 to 3 inches brought minor flooding of county roads around the Draper area.
Flood · May 27, 2019. A series of disturbances associated with a persistent area of low pressure over the western half of the U.S. produced several rounds of heavy rain. This rainfall, coupled with saturated soils from a wet early spring and flooding over the previous week, led to more flooding on the White River.
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 Jones 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.