Enter any address in Sanborn County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
Widespread flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Sanborn County. Recent events in June and July 2024 illustrate this, with multi-day rainfall totals between 5 and 15 inches causing major to record river flooding and extensive overland flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that while Zone A areas have experienced more frequent claims, Zone X_Unshaded areas have seen higher average payouts and water depths. Homeowners in areas near streams and rivers, as well as those in Zone A, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
25 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sanborn County, South Dakota has recorded 95 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 4 flash floods and 91 river or area floods. The county has received 22 federal disaster declarations, 11 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Flood | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Flood | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 21, 2010 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 4, 2007 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 25, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | 112.00K |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 15, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 30, 2022 | 0.00K |
Flood — Aug 25, 2025
A wet August resulted in minor river flooding along portions of the middle James River.
Flood — Jun 24, 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 al...
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 al...
Flood — Jul 1, 2024
River levels from the historic June flooding remained above flood stage for some locations into July, although continued a declining trend.
Flood — Apr 18, 2023
Rapid snowmelt from a few day period of well above normal temperatures focused on the 11-13th of April resulted in moderate to locally major flooding through much of the James River Basin. Some areas north of I-90 lost between 2 to 5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the first to second week of April, but antecedent drought conditions resulted in only a percentage of this water actuall...
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 Sanborn 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 Sanborn 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.