Flood, Codington
- When
- September 11, 1:45 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Codington County, 1.57 mi N of (Aty)watertown Arpt to 1.56 mi NE of (Aty)watertown Arpt
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- River/Stream Gage
- Coordinates
- 44.943, -97.146
Flood in South Dakota, September 11 to 30, 2019
Above normal September rainfall brought the Big Sioux River near Watertown to above flood stage on September 11th. The river continued to flood throughout the rest of the month and into October.
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
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.
Above normal September rainfall brought the Big Sioux River near Watertown to above flood stage on September 11th. The river continued to flood throughout the rest of the month and into October.
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 Sep 10, 11:26 PM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 10, 11:26 PM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 1226 AM CDT Wed Sep 11 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 1224 AM CDT Wed Sep 11 2019 See updated aviation discussion below. UPDATE Issued at 911 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 Forecast is in decent shape so no major changes anticipated overnight. The threat of severe weather looks to be mostly south of the CWA per current activity and CAM forecasts. Temperatures look fine. && .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Wednesday Afternoon) Issued at 321 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 The threat for severe storms tonight and again late Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning will be the main forecast concerns. As of 20Z, this CWA is experiencing light, northerly winds. A warm front is slowly lifting northward across far southern South Dakota with surface dew points climbing into the 60s. Easterly flow into the higher terrain areas of South Dakota, along with increasing height falls is causing thunderstorms in southwest SD. These storms are expected to grow upscale into a forward propagating MCS. An increasing south to southwest LLJ of 50 knots will cause the MCS to push across the state tonight into the morning hours on Wednesday. Winds, greater than 70 mph, and torrential rainfall will be the main threat in this CWA. The heaviest rainfall, an inch to two inches, will be possible along and south of Highway 212 and east of the James River valley. Central South Dakota, or along and south of Highway 14 will have the best potential for seeing the damaging winds. The first system should exit the CWA Wednesday morning with mostly dry, but cloudy skies expected. The latest models cooler temperatures across the CWA with highs on Wednesday only in the 60s to low 70s. An area of low pressure and associated mid level trough will cross the region late Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night. Strong LLJ of 40 to 55 knots, along with increasing instability will bring the potential for severe storms, mainly east of the Missouri River. Heavy rainfall will also be possible Wednesday night. With the wet conditions over the past couple of days, a flood watch may be needed Wednesday night. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday Evening through Tuesday) Issued at 321 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 The wet weather continues into the daylight hours Thursday, with the large surface low over eastern SD, and the 500mb low still across northwestern SD. Will keep the mention/slight chance of thunderstorms as some instability lingers over mainly our eastern counties. Expect the deepening surface over our far northeastern counties at 18Z Thursday to move near FAR by 00Z Friday, as the 500mb low crosses into central SD with a trough lingering across our counties through the day Friday. While most of the rain will end during the day Thursday, lingering low level moisture (high RH stuck below 800mb) will keep the plenty of clouds through Friday morning. A surface ridge over western and central SD midday Friday will be able to push across the rest of our area in the afternoon, before exiting into MN Friday night. Saturday will bring a start of a warm- up to near average temperatures for this time of year, with highs in the 70s. Saturday may also bring us isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms, as a weak frontal boundary and weak open trough cross the Dakotas. Expect mainly zonal flow to take hold then through Sunday, as we monitor a large 500mb low sinking in off the Canadian coastline to the Pacific Northwest. Southwesterly flow will take over Monday through at least the middle of next week. Above normal temperatures will return as early as Monday. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday Night) Issued at 1224 AM CDT Wed Sep 11 2019 VFR skies/vsbys are expected to gradually lower to MVFR/IFR cigs through early Wednesday morning. Areas of fog are also possible. Widespread MVFR cigs are expected for late Wednesday morning and afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms will spread from west to east across the area during the late afternoon and evening hours. && .ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. && UPDATE...TDK SHORT TERM...SD LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...Parkin
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 10, 6:41 PM CST, 7 hours 4 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 741 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 MNZ039-046-SDZ006>008-011-018>023-120045- Traverse-Big Stone-Brown-Marshall-Roberts-Day-Spink-Clark-Codington- Grant-Hamlin-Deuel- 741 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A few showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight, but the risk of severe weather appears low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon through the day Thursday. Some of the storms may be strong to severe Wednesday afternoon and evening, mainly south of Highway 212. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. SDZ045-048-051-120045- Jones-Lyman-Buffalo- 741 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A few showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight, but the risk of severe weather appears low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon through the day Thursday. Some of the storms may be strong to severe Wednesday afternoon and evening, mainly south of Highway 212. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-033>037-120045- Corson-Campbell-McPherson-Walworth-Edmunds-Dewey-Potter-Faulk- Stanley-Sully-Hughes-Hyde-Hand- 741 PM CDT Tue Sep 10 2019 /641 PM MDT Tue Sep 10 2019/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota and north central South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A few showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight, but the risk of severe weather appears low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Showers and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon through the day Thursday. Some of the storms may be strong to severe Wednesday afternoon and evening, mainly south of Highway 212. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Flooding in South Dakota, September 11 to 16, 2019
- Flooding in South Dakota, September 11 to 30, 2019
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, September 11, 2019
- Tornado and Hail in Michigan, September 11, 2019
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nebraska, September 11 to 12, 2019
- Flash Flooding in South Dakota, September 11 to 12, 2019
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Minnesota, September 11, 2019
- Flooding in Minnesota, September 11 to 22, 2019
- Flooding in South Dakota, September 11 to 21, 2019
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Virginia, September 11, 2019
- Flooding in Iowa, September 11 to 30, 2019
- Flooding in South Dakota, September 11 to 21, 2019
More
Every storm in South Dakota in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, September 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 856128.