29 flood insurance claims·$575,857 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 McCook 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 from summer storms dominate the flood history of McCook County, with NOAA records detailing 21 standard floods and 9 flash floods over the last 30 years. Recent impacts are highlighted by a multi-day significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22, 2024, which produced widespread rain totals of 5 to 10 inches—with pockets exceeding 15 inches—causing major to record river flooding and extensive overland impacts. Additionally, clusters of thunderstorms on June 21, 2024, brought rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour, leading to flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones, indicating that flood risks extend beyond designated high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 14 claims with an average payout of $24,651 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Zone X accounts for 13 claims with an average payout of $17,472 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. An additional 2 claims were filed under an unknown zone, averaging $3,605 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A due to the higher average payouts and water depths, while also noting that properties in Zone X face verified flood risks and claim histories.
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 2 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 2019, with 11 claims and $405,554 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding and 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.
11 NOAA storm reports from McCook County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 8 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 17, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Apr 8, 2013 |
| Flooding | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
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 | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $1.7M |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | $660,000 |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Sep 11, 2019 | $25,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
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 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…
Flood · May 29, 2019. A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rainfall between May 21 and May 27 across much of southeast South Dakota resulted in late month flooding on the upper and lower portions of the Vermillion 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 McCook 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.