9 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 Tripp 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 and river flooding from summer thunderstorms and severe weather systems dominate Tripp County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 21 flood events and 9 flash flood events.
Recent events illustrate these risks. In June 2024, training thunderstorms dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in less than 3 hours, causing runoff that inundated several roads with water and debris. Similarly, heavy rain in June 2023 caused flash flooding that overwhelmed culverts, flooded county roads, and caused water ponding in fields. A prolonged storm system in May 2019 brought heavy rain and melting snow, leading to record-setting precipitation and the flooding of creeks, rivers, low-lying areas, and roads.
Residents living near creeks, rivers, and low-lying areas, as well as property owners situated near county roads and vulnerable culverts, should pay the closest attention to these recurring flood and flash flood hazards.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5 NOAA storm reports from Tripp County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 30, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Flooding | Mar 10, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 2, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 21 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 24, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 20, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 14, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 20, 2024. Training thunderstorms dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in less than 3 hours over portions of south-central South Dakota. Runoff from the heavy rain caused several roads to be inundated with water and debris.
Flash Flood · Jun 20, 2024. Training thunderstorms dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in less than 3 hours over portions of south-central South Dakota. Runoff from the heavy rain caused several roads to be inundated with water and debris.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across portions of Tripp County. Flash flooding developed; which inundated several county roads, overwhelmed culverts, and caused ponding of water in fields.
Flood · May 27, 2019. Several days of heavy rain, along with major to record flooding the previous week, led to more flooding across portions of the western South Dakota plains and foothills of the Black Hills. The period of wet weather culminated with heavy rain and thunderstorms over the Rapid City area during the afternoon and evening of May 31, which led to widespread flooded roads.
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 Tripp 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.