Flooding in South Dakota, March 22 to 31, 2019

Name: Flooding in South Dakota, March 22 to 31, 2019
Start: 2019-03-22T03:00
End: 2019-03-31T23:59
Location: South Dakota

March 22 to 31, 2019 · NWS ABR · 26 events in 26 counties and zones

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: 26

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.

Much above normal winter snowfall and melt water/ice jams along with heavy rains in the middle of March brought flooding across parts of central and northeast South Dakota for late March. Rivers and creeks flooded across much of the area along with many fields and roads. The flooding damaged many of the roads and culverts across the region. Some structures were also flooded. Lake levels also rose threatening homes mainly in the east at Lake Kampeska near Watertown. Many counties issued emergency declarations for the flooding to include the mid-March snowstorm. South Dakota's governor also declared a state of emergency. Much of this flooding continued into early April as the snowmelt continued with the high water delaying planting.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 21, 5:18 PM CST, 9 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 21, 5:18 PM CST, 9 hours 42 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 21, 2:28 PM CST, 12 hours 32 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

26 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Roberts

When: March 22, 3:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Roberts County, 5.85 mi NNW of Dahlberg to 1.19 mi WNW of White Rock
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.930, -97.220

Many roads were flooded throughout Roberts county. Up to sixty residential, nonresidential, and public buildings were threatened or received some flooding. The city of Corona was surrounded by water and had water in town with several houses taking on water. They cut three county roads to evacuate water out of town. The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate signed an emergency declaration along with Roberts county.

Flood, Edmunds

When: March 22, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Edmunds County, 9.78 mi N of Bowdle to 12.52 mi N of Mina
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.590, -99.700

Many roads were flooded throughout Edmunds county with many of them closed. Also, several structures were threatened by the high water.

Flood, Grant

When: March 22, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Grant County, 8.35 mi N of Hiland to 1.19 mi WNW of Marvin
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.300, -97.220

Many county and township roads went underwater and were closed.

Flood, Corson

When: March 23, 12:00 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Corson County, 1.92 mi W of Thunder Hawk to 9.47 mi SSW of Athboy
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.930, -101.990

Many roads were flooded in the county and on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Flood, Hamlin

When: March 24, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hamlin County, 6.5 mi WNW of Hazel to 1.7 mi NE of Castlewood
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.790, -97.490

Snowmelt flooded several roads throughout Hamlin county especially along the Big Sioux River.

Flood, Campbell

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Campbell County, 5.93 mi WNW of Pollock to 5.17 mi WSW of Mound City
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.920, -100.400

Many roads were flooded in Campbell county with many sustaining damage.

Flood, Walworth

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 9.51 mi NE of Java to 12.38 mi NW of Mobridge
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.580, -99.740

Several roads were flooded in the county.

Flood, Potter

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Potter County, 20.26 mi NW of Gettysburg to 2.13 mi W of Gorman
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.230, -100.240

Flooding of several township and county roads occurred.

Flood, Buffalo

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Buffalo County, 10.26 mi NNW of Ft Thompson to 10.55 mi W of Shelby
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.180, -99.530

Some roads were flooded in the county.

Flood, Hyde

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hyde County, 25.86 mi N of Holabird to 25.26 mi WSW of Stephan
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.890, -99.660

Many roads were flooded throughout the county.

Flood, Faulk

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Faulk County, 6.53 mi NW of Onaka to 11.32 mi NNE of Chelsea
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.250, -99.570

Several county and township roads were flooded.

Flood, Codington

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Codington County, 4.93 mi NNW of Wallace to 4.59 mi NNE of South Shore
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.150, -97.490

Numerous county roads were closed due to flooding. On March 30th, residents around Lake Kampeska used approximately 8,000-10,000 sandbags to line their homes from the rising Lake.

Flood, Deuel

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Deuel County, 6.68 mi NNW of Goodwin to 4.97 mi NNE of Moritz
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.970, -96.880

Many county roads were flooded and closed throughout Deuel county.

Flood, Jones

When: March 25, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jones County, 3.71 mi NW of Capa to 7.47 mi NNE of Draper
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.160, -101.030

Some county and township roads were flooded.

Flood, Stanley

When: March 25, 7:00 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Stanley County, 4.25 mi SW of Bunker to 10.84 mi ESE of Ft Pierre
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.180, -101.150

Several roads were flooded in the county.

Flood, Lyman

When: March 26, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lyman County, 8.5 mi NW of Mc Clure to 12.6 mi ENE of Mc Clure
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.180, -100.350

Snowmelt flooding resulted in some closed roads.

Flood, Hand

When: March 26, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hand County, 12.4 mi NW of Polo to 20.4 mi ENE of Polo
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.890, -99.300

Snowmelt brought flooded roads with many of them damaged along with culverts throughout the county. A travel advisory was issued for all county roads. There was flooding of homes near/in the cities of Miller and Saint Lawrence along with other rural homes throughout the county.

Flood, McPherson

When: March 26, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McPherson County, 2.81 mi N of Greenway to 7.93 mi NE of Spring Creek Colony
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.940, -99.710

Snowmelt flooded several roads in Mcpherson county with some buildings threatened or flooded. On March 30th, County Road 23 two miles south of Highway 10 went underwater and was closed.

Flood, Clark

When: March 26, 7:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Clark County, 10.8 mi WNW of Crocker to 3.99 mi NE of Bradley
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.150, -97.980

Many city, county, and township roads had been flooded and closed throughout the county.

Flood, Dewey

When: March 26, 7:00 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 5.72 mi NNW of Isabel to 1.69 mi NNE of Moreau
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.460, -101.460

Snowmelt flooding occurred along the Moreau River with several roads closed. There was also several county and BIA bridges that were closed. People in Whitehorse had to go through Timber Lake to get out. There was also a bridge near Promise that had to be closed due to water over it. There were other flooded roads in the county with reports of some cattle stranded.

Flood, Sully

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sully County, 4.82 mi NNW of Laurel to 17.49 mi SW of Fielder
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.880, -100.370

Many roads were flooded and damaged throughout Sully county.

Flood, Hughes

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hughes County, 14.43 mi NW of Pierre to 1.48 mi WSW of Pierre
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.540, -100.500

In late March, a berm was constructed around the east side of Blunt to control snowmelt flooding on the Medicine Creek and divert the water to an open field away from homes and businesses. Part of the creek backed up into town. A small part of U.S. Highway 83 flooded on March 28th along with other county roads.

Flood, Brown

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Brown County, 10.19 mi W of Winship to 10.73 mi ENE of Hecla
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.940, -98.730

Some flooding began to occur from Amsden Lake, Foote Creek, and the Elm River by the end of March. The water over the spillway on Amsden Lake in southeast Brown county caused some minor flooding on a few township roads and a county road near the Day/Brown county line.

Flood, Spink

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Spink County, 7.33 mi W of Mansfield to 11.27 mi NE of Conde
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.240, -98.720

Some snowmelt flooding began at the end of March covering several roads.

Flood, Day

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Day County, 8.74 mi NW of Pierpont to 0.85 mi N of Grenville
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.580, -97.970

Snowmelt flooding resulted in fifteen roads covered by water from overwhelmed culverts.

Flood, Marshall

When: March 27, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, 8.17 mi W of Newark to 6.8 mi NNE of Veblen
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.930, -97.970

Several county and township roads were flooded and closed. Three homes in Langford ended up with water in their basements due to a fast rising creek.

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

Every storm in South Dakota in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, March 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: 814777, 814762, 814782, 814276, 814775, 814739, 814740, 814741, 814750, 814751, 814759, 814774, 814779, 815429, 815428, 814749, 814755, 814763, 814773, 814738, 814747, 814748, 814764, 814767, 814772, 814783.