Enter any address in Stanley County, South Dakota to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow along the Bad River and its tributaries is the dominant flood character in Stanley County. Recent events include flooding along the Bad River, Virgin Creek, and other streams in September 2025 due to heavy rainfall and saturated soils. Another significant flood event in March 2019 was attributed to snowmelt and ice jamming on the Bad River, along with the Grand and Moreau rivers.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone X have experienced the most claims. Zone A properties had an average payout of $24,688 with an average water depth of -0.5 feet, while Zone X properties saw an average payout of $25,221 with an average water depth of 1.6 feet. Homeowners and real estate agents should pay particular attention to properties located in or near floodplains, especially those in Zone A and Zone X, as these areas have historically seen significant flood damage and claims.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Stanley County, South Dakota has recorded 32 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 9 flash floods and 23 river or area floods. The county has received 14 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1976–2022)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Winter Storm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 17, 2015 |
| Flooding | Flood | Mar 11, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 2, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Coastal Storm | Sep 6, 2005 |
| Severe Storm | Severe Storm | Jun 7, 2005 |
| Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds | Flood | Feb 3, 1997 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 31, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 27, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 25, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2017 | 0.00K |
Flood — Sep 18, 2025
Moderate to heavy rainfall occurred across a broad portion of Stanley and Dewey counties. The COOP observer 3 miles west southwest of Wendt would record a 2 day total of 4.94 while the CoCoRaHS observer in Fort Pierre received 4.06 over 3 days. This area had also received about an inch of rainfall on or around the 15th. Rainfall and saturated soils resulted in flooding of several streams and cr...
Flash Flood — Aug 21, 2024
Widespread, slow moving thunderstorms brought hail, gusty wnds and heavy rain to portions of central South Dakota on the afternoon and evening of August 21st. Hail to the size of tennis balls was observed by a trained spotter 4 miles northwest of Murdo. A peak wind speed of 65 mph was observed at a weather station 13 miles north northwest of Sansarc while the ASOS in Pierre peaked at 59 mph. E...
Flood — May 31, 2019
Thunderstorms brought some isolated large hail along with some flooding to parts of central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours.
Flood — Mar 27, 2019
Much above normal snow pack melt water and ice jamming brought flooding on the the Grand, Moreau, and Bad rivers across Corson, Dewey, Jones, and Stanley counties at the end of March. The Grand River at Little Eagle rose to moderate flood stage, nearly 4 and half feet above the flood stage of 15 feet. The Moreau River near Whitehorse rose to major flood stage, almost 28 feet or 7 feet above flo...
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 ro...
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 Stanley 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 Stanley 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.