South Dakota, 1996

Flooding in South Dakota, May 27 to 30, 1996

May 27 to 30, 1996 · NWS UNR · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

A slow moving closed low pressure system and persistent upslope flow contributed to rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches over much of Western South Dakota from 5/21 through 5/27. Widespread flooding began on 5/27.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
19

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS UNR wrote it up.

A slow moving closed low pressure system and persistent upslope flow contributed to rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches over much of Western South Dakota from 5/21 through 5/27. Widespread flooding began on 5/27. Minor property damage, such as flooding to basements, was common. Numerous roads and bridges were washed out and several residents and campers near streams had to be evacuated. A mud slide along Highway 34 near Sturgis cut off water to a hospital and school for several days. River flooding occurred along the Moreau, Cheyenne, Little Missouri, Bad, White, and Little White Rivers.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Central Black Hills

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Central Black Hills forecast zone
Coordinates
43.841, -103.137 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Harding

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Coordinates
45.580, -103.496 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Butte

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Butte forecast zone
Coordinates
44.906, -103.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Perkins

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Perkins forecast zone
Coordinates
45.491, -102.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Northern Meade Co Plains

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Meade Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
44.567, -102.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Ziebach

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Ziebach forecast zone
Coordinates
44.980, -101.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Northern Black Hills

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 29, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Black Hills forecast zone
Coordinates
44.310, -103.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Northern Foot Hills

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 29, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Foot Hills forecast zone
Coordinates
44.359, -103.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rapid City

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Rapid City forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Black Hills

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Black Hills forecast zone
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Custer Co Plains

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Custer Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Pennington Co Plains

When
May 27, 7:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington Co Plains forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Haakon

When
May 27, 6:00 PM MST to May 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon forecast zone
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Oglala Lakota

When
May 28, 12:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota forecast zone
Coordinates
43.336, -102.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Jackson

When
May 28, 12:00 AM MST to May 30, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Todd

When
May 28, 8:00 AM MST to May 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mellette

When
May 28, 8:00 AM MST to May 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Mellette forecast zone
Coordinates
43.581, -100.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Bennett

When
May 28, 8:00 AM MST to May 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Bennett forecast zone
Coordinates
43.195, -101.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Tripp

When
May 28, 12:00 PM MST to May 30, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Tripp forecast zone
Coordinates
43.346, -99.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5554794, 5554795, 5554796, 5554797, 5554798, 5554799, 5554800, 5554801, 5554802, 5554803, 5554804, 5554805, 5554806, 5554809, 5554810, 5554807, 5554811, 5554812, 5554808.