5 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 Perkins 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms and river flooding from heavy seasonal precipitation equally define the flood hazards in Perkins County, South Dakota, with NOAA records showing 16 flood events and 14 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Specific recent events illustrate these risks. In July 2015, slow-moving thunderstorms dropped two to four inches of rain that caused flash flooding near Lodgepole in northern Perkins County. Later, a prolonged, record-setting period of rain and melting snow in May 2019 generated runoff that flooded creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and roads across the region. More recently, heavy rain in August 2023 caused runoff that flooded roads and accumulated in fields and ditches north and west of Faith.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties near creeks, rivers, and low-lying areas, as well as locations vulnerable to rapid runoff from intense summer thunderstorms and heavy seasonal precipitation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Perkins County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
26 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 13, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 2, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 16 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 24, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2019 | $100,000 |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2015 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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.
Flood · May 24, 2019. A powerful storm system slowly moved from the Four Corners region northeastward through the Plains, leading to a prolonged period of precipitation across western South Dakota May 20-22. This three day period was among the coldest, wettest, and snowiest on record for late May, with several temperature and precipitation records set. Runoff from the rain and melting snow led to flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying a…
Flood · Mar 23, 2019. Moderate flooding occurred along parts of the Moreau River due to snowmelt and ice jams.
Flood · May 22, 2019. A powerful storm system slowly moved from the Four Corners region northeastward through the Plains, leading to a prolonged period of precipitation across western South Dakota May 20-22. This three day period was among the coldest, wettest, and snowiest on record for late May, with several temperature and precipitation records set. Runoff from the rain and melting snow led to flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying a…
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 Perkins 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.