Enter any address in Pennington County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Pennington County. In the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 32 flash flood events and 48 flood events. Recent examples include heavy rain and hail causing minor flooding and elevated stream levels on Rapid Creek east of Rapid City in May 2023, and runoff from a thunderstorm causing flooding along Box Elder Creek in June 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $5,255 and an average water depth of 4.3 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED also have a notable number of claims, with an average payout of $1,764 and an average water depth of 1.2 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, and those in Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
22 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pennington County, South Dakota has recorded 80 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 32 flash floods and 48 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn Fire | Fire | Oct 4, 2021 |
| Schroeder Fire | Fire | Mar 29, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Coastal Storm | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Sd Skyline #2 Fire 7/16/05 | Fire | Jul 16, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 17, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 12, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 24, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2022 | 1.00M |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2019 | 150.00K |
| Flood | May 28, 2019 | 750.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | 2.00M |
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.
Flood — May 17, 2023
A severe thunderstorm developed just northwest of Rapid City and slowly drifted north and east through portions of the Rapid City, Black Hawk, and Summerset areas; producing hail around quarter size and heavy rain. Brief heavy rain and large amounts of small hail blocked storm drains and caused minor flooding across parts of Rapid City, with elevated stream levels on Rapid Creek east of Rapid C...
Flood — May 12, 2023
A prolonged rain event over several days led to flooding and flash flooding over the Cheyenne and White River basins. Three to five inches of rain fell, with some locations receiving nearly four inches of rain within six hours on the evening of May 11. As the water flowed into larger rivers, minor flooding was observed.
Flood — Jul 24, 2022
Monsoonal moisture streaming into the area, combined with slow moving thunderstorms, produced a narrow area of heavy rain from Black Hawk to Rapid Valley. Runoff from this rainfall caused minor street flooding on a few city streets in Rapid City, flooded open agricultural fields in Rapid Valley, and caused high flows and minor flooding along Rapid Creek.
Flood — Jun 12, 2022
A trailing supercell thunderstorm tracked across northeastern Wyoming and across the northern Black Hills and west central South Dakota. This storm brought large hail to the Spearfish, Lead, Deadwood, and Sturgis areas, as well as portions of the southern Meade County plains into south central South Dakota. Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding across portions of northeastern Pennington and Haa...
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 Pennington 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 Pennington 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.