3 flood insurance claims·$3,427 paid·5 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 Ziebach 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.
Prolonged river floods and short-duration flash floods from heavy rainfall dominate the flood history of Ziebach County, South Dakota, supported by 28 recorded flood events and 13 flash flood events over the last 30 years.
Recent events illustrate these hazards. In May 2023, a prolonged multi-day rain event dropped three to five inches of rain, causing flooding and flash flooding across the Cheyenne and White River basins. In March 2019, combined snowmelt, dam releases, and ice jams formed a large ice jam downstream from Wasta, causing minor flooding along the Cheyenne River. Heavy summer rainfall also triggered flash flooding that inundated county roads, overwhelmed culverts, and caused water ponding in fields in June 2023.
Federal records show limited historical claims data, consisting of three claims categorized under Zone UNKNOWN, with an average payout of $3,427 and an average recorded water depth of 45 inches. Property owners located near river basins, low-lying agricultural areas, and county roads prone to culvert overflow should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
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 45 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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Ziebach County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the South Dakota flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1976, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm | Dec 12, 2022 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | May 21, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Mar 13, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 24, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 13, 2014 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding | Oct 3, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 16, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Apr 2, 2010 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
41 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 28 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 23, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 12, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 29, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2019 | $750,000 |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | $300,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 23, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across portions of Ziebach County during the late evening and overnight hours. Flash flooding inundated several county roads, overwhelmed culverts, and caused ponding of water in fields.
Flash Flood · Jun 22, 2023. Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding across portions of Ziebach County during the late evening and overnight hours. Flash flooding inundated several county roads, overwhelmed culverts, and caused ponding of water in fields.
Flood · May 12, 2023. A prolonged rain event over several days led to flooding and flash flooding over the Cheyenne and White River basins. Three to five inches of rain fell, with some locations receiving nearly four inches of rain within six hours on the evening of May 11. As the water flowed into larger rivers, minor flooding was observed.
Flood · May 29, 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 Ziebach 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.