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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.

Flash Flood

Brown, SD · Jul 25, 2020

Storms tracked across north central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours of July 24th and into July 25th. Developing in a very moisture rich atmosphere, the storms were able to produce very heavy rain in a short amount of time, especially over parts of…

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Flash Flood

Hutchinson, SD · Jul 6, 2020

Lift associated with a jet streak across southern North Dakota interacted with an unstable and weakly capped environment with 30 to 40 knots of deep-layer shear to produce a couple of smaller clusters of thunderstorms with large hail and damaging wind during the evening and…

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Flood

Brown, SD · Feb 1, 2020

The number of consecutive days of flooding continued to build throughout February on the James River from Columbia to Stratford to Ashton. The James River finally fell below flood stage at Ashton on February 22nd finishing at 327 consecutive days above flood stage.

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Flood

Spink, SD · Feb 1, 2020

The number of consecutive days of flooding continued to build throughout February on the James River from Columbia to Stratford to Ashton. The James River finally fell below flood stage at Ashton on February 22nd finishing at 327 consecutive days above flood stage.

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Flood

Brown, SD · Jul 24, 2020

Very heavy rains of 4 to 12 inches fell across northwest Brown county producing flooding. Runoff from this rainfall brought major to record flooding on Elm River from Frederick to Westport to Ordway.

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Flood

McPherson, SD · Jul 24, 2020

Storms tracked across north central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours of July 24th and into July 25th. Developing in a very moisture rich atmosphere, the storms were able to produce very heavy rain in a short amount of time, especially over parts of…

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Flood

Brown, SD · Jul 24, 2020

Storms tracked across north central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours of July 24th and into July 25th. Developing in a very moisture rich atmosphere, the storms were able to produce very heavy rain in a short amount of time, especially over parts of…

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Flood

Marshall, SD · Jul 25, 2020

Storms tracked across north central and northeast South Dakota during the evening hours of July 24th and into July 25th. Developing in a very moisture rich atmosphere, the storms were able to produce very heavy rain in a short amount of time, especially over parts of…

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Flash Flood

Ziebach, SD · May 18, 2013

A severe thunderstorm moved northeastward across Ziebach County and produced golf ball size hail in the Red Elm area. Three to five inches of rain fell in less than two hours, causing several small streams and creeks to quickly overflow their banks.

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Flash Flood

Beadle, SD · Jun 10, 2023

Abundant moisture, relatively weak air flow and a weak disturbance moving through the region produced scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of June 10. Water loaded storms produced locally heavy rainfall and some flooding.

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Flood

Lyman, SD · Feb 8, 2024

Above normal temperatures resulted in rapid snow melt across central South Dakota. This snow melt resulted in a rise in river levels of Medicine Creek which lasted for about a day before steadily receding.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Hamlin, SD · Mar 22, 2009

Warm frontal thunderstorms produced 1 to 3 inches of heavy rain across Grant, Deuel, Hamlin, and Codington counties. The heavy rain fell on top of an extensive snow cover resulting in flash flooding.

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Flash Flood$20K damage

Jackson, SD · Jun 24, 2011

A line of severe thunderstorms moved across northwestern South Dakota, producing wind gusts to 70 mph from Harding and Butte Counties, southeastward into central South Dakota.

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Flood

Sanborn, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Hanson, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Beadle, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Hutchinson, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Sanborn, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Davison, SD · Jun 1, 2023

Snowmelt resultant flooding from April continued through May and into June along the very slowly draining James River in South Dakota. While flood levels continued to decrease from their crest in April, minor flooding persisted into June in some locations, slowly falling through…

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Flood

Spink, SD · Mar 8, 2020

Snowmelt runoff brought the James River at Ashton and Redfield above flood stage early in March. The James River at Redfield went above flood stage on March 11th and then fell back below flood stage on March 17th.

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Flash Flood

Lawrence, SD · Jun 23, 2023

A strong thunderstorm produced hail to penny size in Saint Onge and heavy rain across the northern foothills area. Runoff from the heavy rain caused significant flooding in Spearfish and across other portions of northern Lawrence County.

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Flood

Lawrence, SD · Jun 23, 2023

A strong thunderstorm produced hail to penny size in Saint Onge and heavy rain across the northern foothills area. Runoff from the heavy rain caused significant flooding in Spearfish and across other portions of northern Lawrence County.

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Flood

Lyman, SD · Oct 13, 2023

The Cedar Creek near Presho briefly rose above the 12 foot flood stage during the morning of October 13th. The flooding was caused by 3 to 5 inches of heavy rainfall. The creek crested at 12.36 feet during the mid morning hours before falling below flood stage at 1:30 PM CDT.

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Flash Flood

Roberts, SD · Aug 19, 2009

Numerous thunderstorms developed along a stationary front and trained over the same locations producing very heavy rains along with large hail. Very heavy rains of 2 to nearly 5 inches resulted in the flash flooding of numerous roads. Several of the roads were washed out.

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