FloodZoneMap.org

South Dakota Flood Stories

999 first-hand accounts of flood events in South Dakota, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flood

Hamlin, SD · Apr 9, 2023

The combination of a deep snowpack, a liquid equivalent exceeding 4 inches, and frozen soils due to persistently below-normal spring temperatures set the stage for flooding along the Big Sioux.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Apr 12, 2023

The combination of a deep snowpack, a liquid equivalent exceeding 4 inches, and frozen soils due to persistently below-normal spring temperatures set the stage for flooding along the Big Sioux.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Apr 11, 2023

The combination of a deep snowpack, a liquid equivalent exceeding 4 inches, and frozen soils due to persistently below-normal spring temperatures set the stage for flooding along the Big Sioux.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Apr 11, 2023

The combination of a deep snowpack, a liquid equivalent exceeding 4 inches, and frozen soils due to persistently below-normal spring temperatures set the stage for flooding along the Big Sioux.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Apr 11, 2023

The combination of a deep snowpack, a liquid equivalent exceeding 4 inches, and frozen soils due to persistently below-normal spring temperatures set the stage for flooding along the Big Sioux.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$250K damage

Meade, SD · Aug 17, 2007

Severe thunderstorms developed and remained stationary over the northeastern slopes of the Black Hills, producing very large hail and heavy rain. The most extensive damage was in the Piedmont area, where the hail broke windows and damaged roofs.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$20K damage

Stanley, SD · Sep 2, 1999

Very heavy rains from thunderstorms repeatedly going over the same area resulted in extensive flash flooding in a 30 to 40 mile wide band from Fort Pierre in southeast Stanley County to Hecla in northeast Brown County.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Marshall, SD · Aug 15, 2025

Strong storms during the early morning hours of August 15th would generate winds in excess of 70 mph at Sunset Colony, and half-dollar to ping pong sized hail observed by the Marshall County Emergency Manager in Britton.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$100K damage

Pennington, SD · May 24, 2010

A strong upper level wave combined with abundant moisture to produce strong thunderstorms over western South Dakota. Torrential rain of two to four inches fell across the eastern and southern slopes of the Black Hills in a brief period, causing flooding from Piedmont southward…

Read the full account →
Flood

Jones, SD · Apr 15, 2024

Low pressure south of the region helped generate isolated strong thunderstorms during the evening of April 15th into the early morning hours of April 16th. Two reported observations included wind gusts of 60 mph, one in Tolstoy as well as 3 miles southeast of Reliance.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Minnehaha, SD · Sep 16, 2025

A nearly stationary thunderstorm developed and dissipated over southwestern Sioux Falls along a converging set of outflow boundaries from earlier thunderstorm activity.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Charles Mix, SD · Aug 25, 2024

The thermal cap diurnally weakened along a weak surface trough from north central Nebraska into central South Dakota by very late afternoon, which allowed an isolated strong to severe thunderstorm to develop. The storm tracked slowly eastward through the early evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$14K damage

Potter, SD · Sep 2, 1999

Very heavy rains from thunderstorms repeatedly going over the same area resulted in extensive flash flooding in a 30 to 40 mile wide band from Fort Pierre in southeast Stanley County to Hecla in northeast Brown County.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Lincoln, SD · May 31, 2024

Scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours produced pockets of heavy rainfall and very efficient rainfall rates. This resulted in localized flash flooding reports across far southeast South Dakota, far northeast Nebraska, and northwest Iowa.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Custer, SD · May 20, 2016

Slow moving thunderstorms regenerated over the Keystone and Mount Rushmore area for several hours. These storms produced large amounts of hail to two inches in diameter and three to four inches of rain in about three hours.

Read the full account →
Flood$75K damage

Fall River, SD · May 24, 2010

A strong upper level wave combined with abundant moisture to produce strong thunderstorms over western South Dakota. Torrential rain of two to four inches fell across the eastern and southern slopes of the Black Hills in a brief period, causing flooding from Piedmont southward…

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Beadle, SD · Aug 21, 2025

Clusters of slow moving thunderstorms with embedded supercells developed within an environment of 40 kts of deep-layer shear and 2000 J/kg MLCAPE as a mid-level wave moved across the region.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood$30K damage

Minnehaha, SD · May 25, 2013

Thunderstorms produced flash flooding and large hail in southeast South Dakota from late evening of May 25th into the morning of May 26th. While many of the storms were in the far eastern part of the state, including the Sioux Falls area, there were also scattered storms further…

Read the full account →
Flood

Hamlin, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
Flood

Codington, SD · Aug 6, 2025

Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across Codington and Hamlin counties, falling on already saturated soils due to above normal precipitation through the spring and summer months, resulted in flooding of the Big Sioux River and its tributaries including Mud and Willow Creeks.

Read the full account →
← PreviousPage 20 of 42Next →

View South Dakota flood zone data →