South Dakota, 2020

Flooding in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 2020

April 1 to 30, 2020 · NWS FSD · 10 events in 7 counties and zones

Continued runoff from snow melt as well as early Spring precipitation of 1 to 2 inches in the northern basin kept the slow-draining James River Basin in flood.

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
$35,000
Events
10

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.

Continued runoff from snow melt as well as early Spring precipitation of 1 to 2 inches in the northern basin kept the slow-draining James River Basin in flood.

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 Mar 31, 5:26 PM CST, 6 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 5:26 PM CST, 6 hours 34 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 2:22 PM CST, 9 hours 38 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

10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Beadle

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Beadle County, 3.44 mi E of Hitchcock to 5.41 mi E of Broadland
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
44.630, -98.330

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River at Huron (gage site HURS2) remained in moderate flood stage through the month, with the peak stage on April 1 at 3.48 feet above flood stage. Several county and township roads remained inundated. The river remained in moderate flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Sanborn

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sanborn County, 10.66 mi NNE of Woonsocket to 12.44 mi NNW of Forestburg
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
44.200, -98.220

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River near Forestburg (gage site FORS2) spent the entire month at moderate flood stage. An early month crest of 2.92 feet above flood stage occurred on April 2. Numerous county and township roads near the gage were inundated. The river remained at moderate flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Sanborn

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sanborn County, 2.13 mi NNE of Letcher to 6.28 mi SSE of Letcher
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.930, -98.120

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) began the month at moderate flood stage, with a crest on April 2 at 4.07 feet above flood stage. Impacts were generally limited to flooding of agricultural lands near the river, but flood waters did cause the closing of Shanard Road east of Mitchell. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Davison

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Davison County, 4.92 mi N of Loomis to 6.39 mi S of Ethan
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.851, -98.092

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) began the month at moderate flood stage, with a crest on April 2 at 4.07 feet above flood stage. Impacts were generally limited to flooding of agricultural lands near the river, but flood waters did cause the closing of Shanard Road east of Mitchell. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Hanson

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hanson County, 4.22 mi NW of Plano to 3.78 mi W of Rockport
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.851, -97.967

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) began the month at moderate flood stage, with a crest on April 2 at 4.07 feet above flood stage. Impacts were generally limited to flooding of agricultural lands near the river, but flood waters did cause the closing of Shanard Road east of Mitchell. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Hutchinson

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson County, 2.41 mi NE of Dimock to 5.37 mi SSE of Milltown
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.499, -97.953

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) began the month at moderate flood stage, with a crest on April 2 at 4.07 feet above flood stage. Impacts were generally limited to flooding of agricultural lands near the river, but flood waters did cause the closing of Shanard Road east of Mitchell. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Hutchinson

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson County, 3.15 mi SSE of Milltown to 2.89 mi S of Olivet
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.380, -97.770

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) began the month with a peak in moderate flood at 3.66 feet above flood stage on April 1, before falling into minor flood stage on April 18. Numerous county and township roads near the gage were inundated, including 431st Avenue where it crosses the river. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Bon Homme

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 2.49 mi ENE of Scotland to 4.84 mi E of Scotland
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.169, -97.688

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) began the month with a peak in moderate flood at 3.66 feet above flood stage on April 1, before falling into minor flood stage on April 18. Numerous county and township roads near the gage were inundated, including 431st Avenue where it crosses the river. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Yankton

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Yankton County, 9.25 mi WNW of Jamesville to 4.79 mi NNW of Lesterville
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Crop damage
$35,000
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.169, -97.638

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) began the month with a peak in moderate flood at 3.66 feet above flood stage on April 1, before falling into minor flood stage on April 18. Numerous county and township roads near the gage were inundated, including 431st Avenue where it crosses the river. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Flood, Yankton

When
April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 20, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Yankton County, 1.71 mi SW of Jamesville to 2.02 mi E of Utica
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.080, -97.500

A continuation of flooding from March, the James River near Yankton (gage site YNNS2) began the month at a peak 3.49 feet above flood stage on April 1, then fell gradually below flood stage on April 20. Early in the month, significant flooding of agricultural lands near the river was the largest impact, with water encroaching on southwest Jim River Rd. near 301st St.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 2020

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: 882838, 882871, 882874, 882880, 882881, 882882, 882887, 882889, 882890, 882897.