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 Potter 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 from heavy spring snowmelt and seasonal rains defines the primary flood risk for Potter County, South Dakota. Over a 30-year period, NOAA records document 10 general flood events and 9 flash flood events.
Significant regional flooding occurred in March and April 2019, driven by well-above-normal winter snowfall, heavy rains, ice jams, and subsequent snowmelt that flooded fields, roads, culverts, bridges, and structures while delaying crop planting. A similar deep snowpack and rapid warming pattern caused extensive spring flooding across the region in April 2023. Continued spring melt and above-normal rainfall prolonged these conditions through June 2019, resulting in extensive agricultural damage and millions of dollars in crop losses across central and northeast South Dakota.
Property owners and residents located near rivers, creeks, low-lying fields, and rural roads subject to ice jams and rapid snowmelt should pay the most attention to flood risk in this area.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Potter County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
41 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 20, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Severe Storm | Jun 7, 2005 |
| Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds | Feb 3, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 10, 2023 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | $109,500 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Jun 20, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 10, 2023. The snowfall during the season in northeast and central South Dakota exceeded normal levels, with many locations ranking among the top 10 for the snowiest seasons. Additionally, the late spring conditions were unusually cold, resulting in a persistent and exceptionally deep snowpack until early April. The depth of the snowpack ranged from 15 to 30 plus inches, containing approximately 4 to 8 inches of snow water e…
Flood · Mar 25, 2019. Much above normal winter snowfall and melt water/ice jams along with heavy rains in the middle of March brought flooding across parts of central and northeast South Dakota for late March. Rivers and creeks flooded across much of the area along with many fields and roads. The flooding damaged many of the roads and culverts across the region. Some structures were also flooded. Lake levels also rose threatening homes…
Flood · May 1, 2019. March and April snowmelt and heavy rain flooding along with above normal May precipitation resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of crops damaged or delayed/unplanted across central and northeast South Dakota. The widespread flooding continued into June with millions of dollars of loss.
Flood · Jun 1, 2019. Spring snowmelt and heavy rain flooding from March, April, and May continued into June. This combined with above normal June rainfall resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres of crops damaged or unplanted across central and northeast South Dakota. For the entire state of South Dakota, nearly 4 million acres of crops were left unplanted as a result of the flooding. Total damaged or unplanted crop loss estimates f…
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 Potter 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.