Flooding in South Dakota, May 12 to 15, 2022

Name: Flooding in South Dakota, May 12 to 15, 2022
Start: 2022-05-12T04:00
End: 2022-05-15T08:00
Location: South Dakota

May 12 to 15, 2022 · NWS FSD · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Heavy rainfall from 2 to 3 inches from May 8 to May 12 across northeast into east central portions of South Dakota resulted in a brief period of minor flooding along the upper portions of the Big Sioux River.

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: 3

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.

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 May 12, 3:15 AM CST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 12, 3:15 AM CST, 45 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 11, 6:53 PM CST, 9 hours 7 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

SDZ038-039-050-052>054-057>060-063>065-068-130100-
Beadle-Kingsbury-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Brule-Aurora-Davison-
Hanson-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Bon Homme-
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, east
central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and southeast
South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon on
Thursday between the Missouri and James Rivers. Large hail up to
2 inches in diameter, wind gusts to 60 mph and an isolated tornado
will be possible in the late afternoon. As the storms move east,
damaging winds to 70 mph and hail to 1.5 inches in diameter will
be possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ001-MNZ071-072-080-089-097-098-SDZ040-055-056-061-062-066-067-
130100-
Lyon-Lincoln-Murray-Nobles-Pipestone-Rock-Brookings-Lake-Moody-
McCook-Minnehaha-Turner-
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, southwest
Minnesota, east central South Dakota and southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon on
Thursday west of I-29. These storms will develop into a squall
line as they approach I-29 in the early evening. Hail up to 1.5
inches in diameter and wind gusts to 75 mph will be possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

MNZ081-090-130100-
Cottonwood-Jackson-
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon on
Thursday west of I-29. These storms will develop into a squall
line as they approach I-29 in the early evening. Hail up to 1.5
inches in diameter and wind gusts to 75 mph will be possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ002-012-013-020-031-032-NEZ013-014-SDZ069>071-130100-
Osceola-Sioux-O'Brien-Plymouth-Woodbury-Ida-Dixon-Dakota-Yankton-
Clay-Union-
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central
Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon on
Thursday west of I-29. These storms will develop into a squall
line as they approach I-29 in the early evening. Hail up to 1.5
inches in diameter and wind gusts to 75 mph will be possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

IAZ003-014-021-022-130100-
Dickinson-Clay-Cherokee-Buena Vista-
753 PM CDT Wed May 11 2022

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon on
Thursday west of I-29. These storms will develop into a squall
line as they approach I-29 in the early evening. Hail up to 1.5
inches in diameter and wind gusts to 75 mph will be possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 12, 2:19 AM CST, 1 hour 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

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Moody

When: May 12, 4:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Moody County, 7.37 mi E of Flandreau Muni Arpt to 9.57 mi SE of Flandreau Muni Arpt
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 43.988, -96.453

An average of 1 to 2 inches of rainfall occurred in the basin north of Pipestone on May 11, and resultant runoff produced a quick rise into minor flood stage. Pipestone Creek below Pipestone (gage site PSTM5) crested briefly 0.09 feet above flood stage early on May 12. Small tracts of agricultural land succumbed to minor flooding.

Flood, Brookings

When: May 13, 2:00 AM CST to May 14, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Brookings County, 8.34 mi NNW of Bruce to 7.91 mi N of Bruce
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.544, -96.937

As runoff from rainfall of 2 to 3 inches across northeast South Dakota was routed downstream, the Big Sioux River near Estelline (gage site BSES2) climbed into minor flood stage and crested 0.43 feet above flood stage on May 13. The river fell below flood stage on May 14. Small tracts of agricultural land succumbed to minor flooding.

Flood, Brookings

When: May 13, 7:00 PM CST to May 15, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Brookings County, 8.56 mi NNW of Bruce to 7.62 mi W of Bruce
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.540, -96.960

As runoff from rainfall of 2 to 3 inches across northeast South Dakota was routed downstream, the Big Sioux River near Bruce (gage site BRCS2) climbed into minor flood stage on May 13, and crested 0.24 feet above flood stage on May 14. The river fell below flood stage on May 15. Small tracts of agricultural land succumbed to minor flooding.

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, May 2022

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: 1027275, 1027198, 1027199.