South Dakota, 2019

Flooding in South Dakota, December 1 to 4, 2019

December 1 to 4, 2019 · NWS FSD · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Reduced flow through the Missouri River system allowed the river to fall below flood stage early in December.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
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 FSD wrote it up.

Reduced flow through the Missouri River system allowed the river to fall below flood stage early in December.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 4:56 PM CST, 7 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 4:56 PM CST, 7 hours 4 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 3:56 PM CST, 8 hours 4 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, Charles Mix

When
December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 3, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Charles Mix County, 1.72 mi W of Pickstown to 1.47 mi W of Marty
Cause
Planned Dam Release
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.066, -98.564

A continuation of flooding from November, the Missouri River near Greenwood (gage site GRWS2) began the month in minor flood at 0.96 feet above flood stage, and fell below flood stage on December 3. Impacts were minor.

Flood, Bon Homme

When
December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 4, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 6.04 mi SW of Perkins to 4.55 mi WSW of Running Water
Cause
Planned Dam Release
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
42.809, -98.106

A continuation of flooding from November, the Missouri River at Niobrara (gage site MRNN1) began the month in minor flood at 0.90 feet above flood stage, then fell below flood stage on December 4. Impacts were minor.

Flood, Bon Homme

When
December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 3.66 mi ENE of Running Water to 3.46 mi SSW of Springfield
Cause
Planned Dam Release
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
42.791, -97.914

A continuation of flooding from November, the Missouri River at Springfield (gage site SPGS2) began the month in minor flood at 1.14 feet above flood stage, then fell below flood stage on December 4. Bottom Road near Springfield was flooded.

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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, December 2019

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: 869375, 869376, 869378.