39 flood insurance claims·$2.0M paid·8 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 Lincoln 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 overland flooding from heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk profile in Lincoln County, South Dakota, accounting for 91 events and one death alongside 36 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent history illustrates this hazard, including a multi-day heavy rainfall event from June 20-22, 2024, which brought widespread rainfall totals between 5 and 10 inches, with pockets exceeding 15 inches. This triggered major to record river flooding and extensive overland flooding that devastated communities. Flash flooding also occurred during this period on June 20-21, 2024, driven by thunderstorm rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour along Highway 18 and Interstate 90.
National Flood Insurance Program records reflect these hazards across different zones. Properties in Zone X recorded 20 claims with an average payout of $73,567 and an average recorded water depth of 17 inches. Properties in Zone A recorded 18 claims with an average payout of $61,530 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate professionals should pay the closest attention to properties in both designated flood zones and moderate-risk areas where overland flooding and heavy rainfall have historically caused significant property damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 14 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2014, with 12 claims and $1.0M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
43 NOAA storm reports from Lincoln County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 13, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornado, And Flooding | May 24, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Apr 8, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 21, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
127 since 1996: 36 flash floods and 91 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $12.0M · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 11, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 31, 2024. Scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours produced pockets of heavy rainfall and very efficient rainfall rates. This resulted in localized flash flooding reports across far southeast South Dakota, far northeast Nebraska, and northwest Iowa. Even after the heaviest rainfall rates had ended, a stripe of prolonged moderate rainfall resulted in excessive ponding and some minor flooding of rural ro…
Flash Flood · Jun 21, 2024. Clusters of thunderstorms with very high rainfall rates from 2 to 4 inches per hour developed by midday on June 20, and despite being transient, continued to redevelop through the evening and into the overnight hours. The primary focus occurred along Highway 18 in the afternoon southwest and south of Sioux Falls, then along Interstate 90 during the evening, and settled again to along the Highway 18 corridor as th…
Flood · Jun 21, 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 also resulted in signi…
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 also resulted in signi…
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 Lincoln 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.