South Dakota, 2020

Flooding in South Dakota, July 1 to 31, 2020

July 1 to 31, 2020 · NWS FSD · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Other than brief rises resulting from one to two inches of rainfall in middle and upper portions of the James River Basin, a downward trend to James River levels continued during July 2020.

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
9

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.

Other than brief rises resulting from one to two inches of rainfall in middle and upper portions of the James River Basin, a downward trend to James River levels continued during July 2020.

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 Jun 30, 5:19 PM CST, 6 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 5:19 PM CST, 6 hours 41 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

9 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Beadle

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Beadle County, 3.44 mi E of Hitchcock to 5.41 mi E of Broadland
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
44.630, -98.330

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River at Huron (gage site HURS2) started the month within a half foot of flood stage before rainfall of one to two inches upstream pushed levels to a crest at 1.90 feet above flood stage on July 12. Significant amounts of agricultural land remained inundated through the month. The river remained at minor flood stage at the end of the month.

Flood, Sanborn

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 20, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Sanborn County, 10.66 mi NNE of Woonsocket to 12.44 mi NNW of Forestburg
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
44.200, -98.220

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River near Forestburg (gage site FORS2) started the month at moderate flood 2.37 feet above flood stage. After falling river levels early in the month, 1.36 inches of rainfall near Forestburg caused a secondary peak 1.28 feet above flood stage on July 14. Several county and township roads near the river remained under water at the start of the month, with inundation of agricultural land the primary impact thereafter.

Flood, Sanborn

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Sanborn County, 2.13 mi NNE of Letcher to 6.28 mi SSE of Letcher
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.930, -98.120

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) started the month at moderate flood 3.23 feet above flood stage. After falling river levels early in the month, 1.36 inches of rainfall near Forestburg and 0.71 inches at Mitchell caused a secondary peak 1.43 feet above flood stage on July 16. Several county and township roads near the river remained under water at the start of the month, with inundation of agricultural land the primary impact thereafter.

Flood, Davison

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Davison County, 4.92 mi N of Loomis to 6.39 mi S of Ethan
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.851, -98.092

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) started the month at moderate flood 3.23 feet above flood stage. After falling river levels early in the month, 1.36 inches of rainfall near Forestburg and 0.71 inches at Mitchell caused a secondary peak 1.43 feet above flood stage on July 16. Several county and township roads near the river remained under water at the start of the month, with inundation of agricultural land the primary impact thereafter.

Flood, Hanson

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Hanson County, 4.22 mi NW of Plano to 3.78 mi W of Rockport
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.851, -97.967

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) started the month at moderate flood 3.23 feet above flood stage. After falling river levels early in the month, 1.36 inches of rainfall near Forestburg and 0.71 inches at Mitchell caused a secondary peak 1.43 feet above flood stage on July 16. Several county and township roads near the river remained under water at the start of the month, with inundation of agricultural land the primary threat thereafter.

Flood, Hutchinson

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson County, 2.41 mi NE of Dimock to 5.37 mi SSE of Milltown
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.499, -97.953

A continuation of flooding from June, the James River at Mitchell (gage site JRMS2) started the month at moderate flood 3.23 feet above flood stage. After falling river levels early in the month, 1.36 inches of rainfall near Forestburg and 0.71 inches at Mitchell caused a secondary peak 1.43 feet above flood stage on July 16. Several county and township roads near the river remained under water at the start of the month, with inundation of agricultural land the primary threat thereafter.

Flood, Hutchinson

When
July 2, 8:00 AM CST to July 8, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Hutchinson County, 3.15 mi SSE of Milltown to 2.89 mi S of Olivet
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.380, -97.770

As a result of downstream routing of floodwaters and rainfall the first week of the month totaling 2.10 inches at Parkston and 2.12 inches 7 miles south of Parkston, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) returned to minor flood and crested 0.69 feet above flood stage on July 4. Significant flooding occurred to agricultural land near the river.

Flood, Bon Homme

When
July 2, 8:00 AM CST to July 8, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 2.49 mi ENE of Scotland to 4.84 mi E of Scotland
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.169, -97.688

As a result of downstream routing of floodwaters and rainfall the first week of the month totaling 2.10 inches at Parkston and 2.12 inches 7 miles south of Parkston, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) returned to minor flood and crested 0.69 feet above flood stage on July 4. Significant flooding occurred to agricultural land near the river.

Flood, Yankton

When
July 2, 8:00 AM CST to July 8, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Yankton County, 9.25 mi WNW of Jamesville to 4.79 mi NNW of Lesterville
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.169, -97.638

As a result of downstream routing of floodwaters and rainfall the first week of the month totaling 2.10 inches at Parkston and 2.12 inches 7 miles south of Parkston, the James River near Scotland (gage site SCOS2) returned to minor flood and crested 0.69 feet above flood stage on July 4. Significant flooding occurred to agricultural land near the river.

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, July 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 907475, 907489, 907493, 907494, 907495, 907496, 907506, 907508, 907511.