Flood, Codington
- When
- April 1, 3:00 PM CST to April 28, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Codington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.978, -97.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flooding in South Dakota, April 1 to 28, 1997
Runoff from the meltdown of the near record to record snowpack, ice jamming, and heavy rains of 1 to 2 inches on April 5th resulted in record flooding on the Big Sioux River. A significant portion of southwest Watertown was flooded with extensive damage to many homes with most people evacuated.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 ABR wrote it up.
Runoff from the meltdown of the near record to record snowpack, ice jamming, and heavy rains of 1 to 2 inches on April 5th resulted in record flooding on the Big Sioux River. A significant portion of southwest Watertown was flooded with extensive damage to many homes with most people evacuated. The Big Sioux River and Lake Kampeska flooding was Watertown's greatest disaster in history. The river flooded many acres of farmland, pastureland, and damaged roads through both counties and also damaged some homes near Castlewood. The Big Sioux River, 7 miles northwest of Watertown, rose above the flood stage of 10 feet on 4/1, to a record stage of 12.1 feet on 4/6. The Big Sioux River, just northwest of Castlewood, rose above the flood stage of 11 feet on 4/1, to a record stage of 13.1 feet on 4/7. The Big Sioux dropped below flood stage northwest of Watertown on 4/7 and did not drop below flood stage northwest of Castlewood until 4/28.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Hamlin
- When
- April 1, 3:00 PM CST to April 28, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hamlin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.674, -97.188 (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
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, April 1, 1997
- High Wind in North Carolina, April 1, 1997
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Rhode Island, April 1, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Connecticut, April 1, 1997
- Flooding in Louisiana, April 1 to 20, 1997
- Flooding in Iowa, April 1 to 10, 1997
- Winter Storm and Hail in Kansas, April 1 to 29, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Jersey, April 1, 1997
- Cold in West Virginia, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Cold in North Carolina, April 1 to 18, 1997
- Flooding in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 1997
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 1997
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5599027, 5599028.