Enter any address in Lake County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Widespread flooding from heavy rainfall events characterizes Lake County. Recent examples include significant flooding in June 2024 due to multi-day rainfall totals of 5 to over 15 inches, leading to major river flooding and overland inundation. In March 2019, rainfall on frozen ground and snowpack resulted in considerable overland flooding, necessitating water rescues in areas around Yankton.
National Flood Insurance Program data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $21,915 and an average water depth of 1.5 feet. Properties in Zone X, including X_SHADED and X_UNSHADED, have also seen substantial claims, with Zone X claims averaging $41,760 despite lower average water depths. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in any flood zone, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lake County, South Dakota has recorded 26 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 12 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 12, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 22, 2010 |
| 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 | Jun 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | 750.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | 310.00K |
| Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 1.42M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | 25.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | 20.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2024
Southeast South Dakota was on the initial development end of a second mesoscale convective system in just two days as a frontal boundary remained anchored just south of the area. Scattered storms produced some spotty wind gusts as well as locally flooding rainfall.
Flood — Jun 20, 2024
A multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22 resulted in widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches with pockets in excess of 15 inches across portions of southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota. As rainfall reached area streams and rivers, major to record flooding was observed, devastating several towns and communities. Extensive overland flooding al...
Flood — Mar 18, 2019
A historic flooding event unfolded as heavy rainfall drenched the area on March 13-14, 2019. With frozen and impervious ground, full and rapid runoff was maximized. In addition to the rainfall, between 1 and 3 inches of snow water equivalent remained in the snow pack south of Interstate 90, with 3 to 6 inches of snow water equivalent north of Interstate 90. Fifteen river gage sites measured re...
Flood — Mar 14, 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
Spurred by a period of excessive precipitation from September 10-12 that resulted in 5 to 10 inches of rainfall in the middle to upper reaches of the Big Sioux River Basin and 2 to 5 inches from Sioux Falls downstream, extreme rises occurred mid-month, with many basin locations reaching record stages. Recreational usage of the Big Sioux River, Split Rock Creek and Skunk Creek (in Moody, Minneh...
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 Lake 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 Lake 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.