South Dakota, 2008

Flooding in South Dakota, June 4 to 7, 2008

June 4 to 7, 2008 · NWS UNR · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Two to three inches of rain in 18 hours on saturated soils caused flooding in central and eastern Pennington County and southern Meade County on June 4. An additional one to two inches of rain on June 5 exacerbated the flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
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  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$600,000
Crop damage
$1.5 million
Events
3

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.

Two to three inches of rain in 18 hours on saturated soils caused flooding in central and eastern Pennington County and southern Meade County on June 4. An additional one to two inches of rain on June 5 exacerbated the flooding. Houses, highways, and streets were damaged by the high water and several stock dams failed.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Rapid City, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 4, 7:28 PM MST, 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 4, 7:28 PM MST, 2 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 4, 1:40 PM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 4, 2:45 PM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 4, 6:40 PM MST, 50 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 4, 6:49 PM MST, 41 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 4, 6:55 PM MST, 35 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jun 4, 7:27 PM MST, 3 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Pennington

When
June 4, 7:30 PM MST to June 7, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 3.4 mi NW of Rapid City to 3.74 mi NW of Rapid City
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.120, -103.260

Flooding was reported in north Rapid City, Box Elder, New Underwood, and along Box Elder Creek and its tributaries.

Flood, Meade

When
June 4, 7:30 PM MST to June 7, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 7.33 mi SSE of Howes to 12.45 mi NNW of Bear Butte
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$500,000
Crop damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.520, -102.000

Elk Creek, Alkali Creek, Antelope Creek, the Belle Fourche River and their tributaries flooded from east of Piedmont to Viewfield and Elm Springs.

Flood, Pennington

When
June 4, 11:57 PM MST to June 7, 3:30 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 15.34 mi SSE of Quinn to 6.22 mi NE of Creighton
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$100,000
Crop damage
$500,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.790, -102.020

Flooding occurred around Quinn, Wall, and Creighton.

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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, June 2008

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 122282, 122308, 122311.