23 flood insurance claims·$52,781 paid·7 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 Meade 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.
Flooding driven by heavy rainfall and severe summer thunderstorms dominates Meade County, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 30 flood events and 21 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rain runoff frequently impacts the region, as occurred in June 2023 when storms caused flooding along Box Elder Creek and across portions of southern Meade County, washing gravel off numerous roads. Similar heavy rainfall produced flash flooding north and west of Faith in August 2023, flooding a few roads and accumulating in fields and ditches.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple flood zones. Zone A accounts for 16 claims with an average payout of $5,026 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Zone X accounts for 5 claims with an average payout of $3,072 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches, while Zone X_SHADED and unknown zones account for minimal claims with average payouts under $2,600 and average water depths between zero and 2 inches. Property owners located within designated Zone A and Zone X flood zones should pay the closest attention to these risks, as these areas have documented claim histories and vulnerability to localized runoff and rising creek waters.
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 3 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 2007, with 4 claims and $16,995 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.
16 NOAA storm reports from Meade County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 30, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow | Nov 5, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 2, 2008 |
| East Ridge Fire | Jul 27, 2006 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
51 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 30 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 24, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2022 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2019 | $300,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 24, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across portions of southern Meade County. Several roads were flooded, with gravel washed off numerous roads.
Flood · Jun 23, 2023. A thunderstorm briefly became severe in the Rapid City area, producing hail mostly on the south and east sides of the city. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding along Box Elder Creek.
Flash Flood · Jun 23, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across portions of southern Meade County. Several roads were flooded, with gravel washed off numerous roads.
Flash Flood · Aug 4, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flash flooding north and west of Faith. Runoff flooded a few roads and accumulated in several fields and ditches.
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 Meade 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.