Enter any address in Kingsbury County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Kingsbury County. Recent events include localized flash flooding on August 5, 2023, and June 25, 2020, both resulting from intense rainfall associated with atmospheric instability and storm development.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that while Zone D has the highest number of claims (13), Zone X_Unshaded has experienced the deepest water, averaging 5.0 feet. Properties in Zone X_Unshaded and Zone X, which have seen significant payouts, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Homeowners in these areas, as well as those in Zone D, should be aware of their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
7 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Kingsbury County, South Dakota has recorded 18 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 10 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 24 federal disaster declarations, 10 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2022)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Winter Storm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 12, 2022 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 30, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 19, 2013 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 5, 2023 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | 370.00K |
| Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 52.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 15, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2011 | 1.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2010 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 5, 2023
An outflow boundary from earlier day convection focused a gradient of instability and storm development with additional destabilization from heating by early afternoon. Boundary interactions from sluggish storms led to training of heavy rainfall cores and localized flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 26, 2020
A cold front during the late afternoon and early evening hours slashed into an unstable airmass with 2000-3000 J/kg MLCAPE and 30-35 knots of 0-6 km shear. Scattered thunderstorms developed with the thick CAPE profile supportive of large hail and over 1000 J/kg DCAPE resulting in occasional damaging wind.
Flash Flood — Jun 25, 2020
A cold front during the late afternoon and early evening hours slashed into an unstable airmass with 2000-3000 J/kg MLCAPE and 30-35 knots of 0-6 km shear. Scattered thunderstorms developed with the thick CAPE profile supportive of large hail and over 1000 J/kg DCAPE resulting in occasional damaging wind.
Flood — Mar 13, 2019
Rainfall of one to three inches on frozen ground and into a snow pack with between 2 and 5 inches of liquid water equivalent resulted in considerable overland flooding.||One of the hardest hit areas was around Yankton, where a No Travel Advisory was issued for the city on March 13-14. Businesses along north Highway 81 toward Yankton Mall had considerable ponding of water. Water rescues were n...
Flood — Sep 12, 2019
A frontal zone remained locked in place under southwest flow aloft as a series of mid-level waves moved across the region over a three day period. Widespread heavy rainfall resulted and amounts reached two-day records for several locations including Platte (6.29 inches), White Lake (6.28 inches), Bridgewater (8.05 inches), Montrose (5.63 inches), Alexandria (8.30 inches), Madison (7.63 inches)...
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 Kingsbury 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 Kingsbury 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.