South Dakota, 2019

Flooding in South Dakota, June 1, 2019

June 1, 2019 · NWS UNR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Flooding continued in parts of far northeastern Rapid City, Box Elder, and along Box Elder Creek after heavy rain from a thunderstorm on the evening of May 31. Automated river gauges and public safety officials indicated flooding across most of the area north and northeast of Rapid City in Pennington and far southern Meade Counties.

Where it happened

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

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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 UNR wrote it up.

Flooding continued in parts of far northeastern Rapid City, Box Elder, and along Box Elder Creek after heavy rain from a thunderstorm on the evening of May 31. Automated river gauges and public safety officials indicated flooding across most of the area north and northeast of Rapid City in Pennington and far southern Meade Counties. High water levels continued late night into the daytime hours on June 1, with flooding in Box Elder along Box Elder Creek.

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 May 31, 9:55 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:55 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 31, 6:10 PM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 31, 6:26 PM MST, 5 hours 34 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 6:29 PM MST, 5 hours 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 6:51 PM MST, 5 hours 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 6:52 PM MST, 5 hours 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 7:05 PM MST, 4 hours 55 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

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Pennington

When
June 1, 12:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 4.15 mi N of Rapid City to 2.84 mi ENE of Rapid City
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.140, -103.230

As the flash flooding ended during the evening of May 31, flooding continued on Box Elder Creek from north of Rapid City to Box Elder. Water flooded portions of County Road, North Elk Vale Road, Radar Hill Road, South Ellsworth Road south of Highway 14-16, and Line Road. Several mobile homes on Line Road were evacuated as water surrounded them.

Flood, Meade

When
June 1, 12:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 0.85 mi NW of Black Hawk to 4.06 mi SE of Black Hawk
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
44.160, -103.320

As the flash flooding ended during the evening of May 31, flooding continued on Box Elder Creek north of Rapid City. Water covered Peaceful Pines Road near Erickson Ranch Road, portions of Country Road, parts of Dyess Avenue, and north Elk Vale Road. Flash flooding earlier in the evening also washed out a culvert on Nike Road near Cobalt Road.

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, June 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: 839596, 839615.