South Dakota, 2024

Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 20 to 22, 2024

June 20 to 22, 2024 · NWS ABR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced flooding across a broad swath of Lyman, Buffalo and Hand counties. 51 inches.

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
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$325,000
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 ABR wrote it up.

Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced flooding across a broad swath of Lyman, Buffalo and Hand counties. In Lyman county, 7.46 inches was observed at a weather station 6 miles south southwest of Oacoma, while the South Dakota State University mesonet station near Oacoma recorded 5.51 inches. A CoCoRaHS observer 5 miles west southwest of Oacoma also observed 4.79 inches. In nearby Buffalo county, 3.56 inches of rain was measured 4 miles east northeast of Shelby. Damage with this round of flooding was assessed at 133,987 dollars in Buffalo county and 191,004 dollars in Hand county. Aside from overland flooding, heavy rain resulted in rises along the White River leading to flooding of agricultural lands on the southern border of Lyman county. This flooding was part of a broader event that resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration, which covered Hand and Buffalo counties.

The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 206 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Lyman

When
June 20, 7:28 PM CST to June 21, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Lyman County, 3.58 mi SW of Oacoma to 5.46 mi WSW of Oacoma
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.757, -99.440

Emergency Management reported several county roads under as much as 3 to 4 feet of water. Additionally, runoff from an estimated three to five inches of rain caused the White River near Oacoma to crest at 16.07 ft at 215am CST. Minor flooding of agricultural land was observed in association with this river flooding.

Flash Flood, Buffalo

When
June 20, 7:33 PM CST to June 22, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Buffalo County, 4.67 mi NE of Gann Vly to 7.13 mi ENE of Ft Thompson
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$134,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.078, -98.933

Emergency management reported water over several roadways in portions of Buffalo county.

Flash Flood, Hand

When
June 20, 7:33 PM CST to June 22, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Hand County, 20.86 mi W of Danforth to 4.25 mi WNW of Ree Hgts
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$191,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
44.199, -99.295

Hand county emergency management and sheriffs office has posted numerous photos of water in basements, water over roads and significant ponding in agricultural areas. Water was widespread across the southern half of the county.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, June 2024

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: 1194365, 1192165, 1194448.