11 flood insurance claims·$43,055 paid·11 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 Sanborn 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.
River flooding resulting from multi-day heavy rainfall events dominates Sanborn County, South Dakota. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 91 flood events resulting in two deaths, alongside four flash flood events.
Recent history illustrates these impacts. A significant heavy rainfall event from June 20-22, 2024, brought widespread rain totals between 5 and 10 inches, with pockets exceeding 15 inches across the region, causing major to record flooding and extensive overland impacts as water reached area streams and rivers. River levels from this historic event remained above flood stage into July 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located within Zone A face the highest concentration of risk, recording 10 claims with an average payout of $10,012 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. By comparison, unshaded Zone X recorded only 1 claim, with an average payout of $3,006 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Property owners near rivers and streams, as well as those located within Zone A, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
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 1997, with 6 claims and $37,585 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms and Blizzard Conditions and Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds.
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.
25 NOAA storm reports from Sanborn County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1969, 11 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Flooding | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 21, 2010 |
| Flooding | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 4, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
95 since 1996: 4 flash floods and 91 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Aug 25, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 24, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | $112,000 |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Apr 15, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2023 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 also resulted in signi…
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 also resulted in signi…
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.
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 Sanborn 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.