South Dakota, 1998

Flood in South Dakota, May 11 to 13, 1998

May 11 to 13, 1998 · NWS ABR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rains of 2 to 4 inches fell mainly during the evening of the 11th across southern and central Hand county. Many creeks in the areas became rushing torrents through the night and through the day of the 12th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Heavy rains of 2 to 4 inches fell mainly during the evening of the 11th across southern and central Hand county. Many creeks in the areas became rushing torrents through the night and through the day of the 12th. Also, low-lying areas and a lot of crop and pastureland were flooded. Some businesses and homes in the Miller, Saint Lawrence, Ree Heights and Vayland areas were flooded and damaged. Some sandbagging was done to try to save some property in Miller. US Highway 14 at the east end of Miller was flooded over for several hours along with many other streets, county and townships roads in southern and central Hand county. Many of the roads were damaged as result of the flooding. Some people in Miller said they had never seen it flood this bad in 35 years. Some rainfall amounts included, 2.65 at Ree Heights, 3.10 inches 3 miles south of Ree Heights, and 3.99 inches at Miller.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Hand

When
May 11, 6:00 PM CST to May 13, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Hand forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.548, -99.005 (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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 1998

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: 5646459.