South Dakota, 2023

Flood in South Dakota, April 2 to 5, 2023

April 2 to 5, 2023 · NWS FSD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Rapid snowmelt from a few day period of well above normal temperatures focused on the 11-13th of April resulted in minor to locally moderate flooding through much of the Big Sioux River Basin. Some areas north of I-90 lost between 2 to 5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the first to second week of April, but antecedent drought conditions resulted in only a percentage of this water…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Heat and drought
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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 FSD wrote it up.

Rapid snowmelt from a few day period of well above normal temperatures focused on the 11-13th of April resulted in minor to locally moderate flooding through much of the Big Sioux River Basin. Some areas north of I-90 lost between 2 to 5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE) from the first to second week of April, but antecedent drought conditions resulted in only a percentage of this water actually making it into the river system.

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 Apr 2, 1:54 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 1:54 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 2:17 AM CST, 13 hours 43 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

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Minnehaha

When
April 2, 4:00 PM CST to April 5, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Minnehaha County, 1.71 mi SE of Lyons to 2.13 mi SSW of Lyons
Cause
Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by
River/Stream Gage
Coordinates
43.700, -96.850

Willow Creek near Crooks, SD rose above flood stage on the afternoon of April 2nd before cresting around 0.91 feet above flood stage (9.91 feet) on April 3rd. The creek then fell below flood stage on the morning of April 5th.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, April 2023

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: 1091995.