Flash Flood in South Dakota
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in South Dakota, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flash flood episodes in South Dakota.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 839
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- 8
- Damage
- $56 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 2 to 30, 1999Strong winds from thunderstorms blew over several trees and fences in the community.
- Flash Flood and Hail in South Dakota, July 5, 2022A cluster of thunderstorms developed across eastern Montana and the western Dakotas during the morning hours. These storms organized and turned southeastward, feeding on rich inflow of post-frontal air with up to 3000 J/kg of MLCAPE and over 1000 J/kg of DCAPE.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Dakota, May 22, 2010Several supercell thunderstorms developed along a very strong warm front and produced nine tornadoes from Akaska to Bowdle to Hecla. The largest of the tornadoes was an EF4 tornado which occurred near Bowdle. This tornado produced devastating damage in the Bowdle area.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, May 5, 2007Numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of May 5th produced large hail, damaging winds, several tornadoes, and flash flooding in southeast South Dakota. Significant damage was reported from several locations.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, September 10 to 11, 2019A frontal boundary provided focus for convective development across south central South Dakota during the very late afternoon and early evening as a strong impulse moved in the southwest flow aloft.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 21, 2013A strong warm front along with very unstable air and strong deep layer winds brought several supercell thunderstorns along with a damaging line of thunderstorms/bow echo to parts of central and northeast South Dakota during the afternoon hours.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, July 31, 2024A very moist and unstable atmosphere was present in the wake of earlier day convection, as another stronger mid-level wave and associated frontal boundary pushed through southeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota during the evening and early overnight hours.
- Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 20 to 21, 2011A large upper level low pressure area along with deep moisture brought very heavy rains to central South Dakota. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 7 inches occurred across parts of the area resulting in flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in South Dakota, May 5 to 6, 2012Thunderstorms produced large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding in southeast South Dakota, near and north of Interstate 90, during the evening of May 5th. The flash flooding continued past midnight on May 6th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Dakota, May 10, 2015Thunderstorms over southeast South Dakota from late morning to the start of the evening on May 10th produced several tornadoes, including one that caused injuries and severe damage in Delmont in Douglas County.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in South Dakota, June 17 to 20, 2014An area of low pressure over northeastern Wyoming interacted with a stationary boundary across western South Dakota and produced slow moving thunderstorms. With ample low level moisture over the area, the thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 28 to 29, 2025A volatile atmospheric setup on the afternoon and evening of June 28th led to the development of several powerful supercell thunderstorms across far eastern South Dakota. These storms produced multiple tornadoes, including two that caused significant damage in Deuel County.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 5, 2008Thunderstorms produced numerous events of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds over southeast South Dakota from late morning through the evening of June 5th. The thunderstorms also produced heavy rain which resulted in flash flooding at several locations.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, May 30, 2022Storms redeveloped in the late morning, with supercell characteristics across eastern South Dakota producing up to one inch diameter hail and winds of 70 mph, in addition to 6 confirmed tornadoes, one of which was rated EF3.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in South Dakota, June 19 to 22, 2015Two rounds of severe weather developed across central South Dakota during the afternoon and late evening hours. The first round of thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon hours of June 19th and quickly produced hail up to two inches in diameter.
- Flash Flood and Hail in South Dakota, July 8 to 9, 2009Thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds at numerous locations across southeast South Dakota from the late evening of July 8th through the morning of July 9th. The storms also produced flash flooding in Vermillion during the afternoon of July 9th.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, August 6, 2019A very unstable atmosphere was in place across south central and southeast South Dakota with around 2000 J/kg MLCAPE.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, August 28, 2021An unstable warm sector with MUCAPE up to 2000-2500 J/kg developed during the afternoon between an advancing cold front across southeast South Dakota and a gangly warm front extending into southwest Minnesota.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, August 30, 2013A supercell thunderstorm developed near Piedmont and moved slowly southeastward across the Rapid City area and the eastern foothills of the Black Hills. The storm produced very large hail, which caused significant property damage from Johnson Siding and Hisega to Rapid City.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in South Dakota, June 16 to 18, 2014Thunderstorms produced numerous events of large hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and areal flooding across most of southeast South Dakota from late morning through the evening of June 16th. The areal flooding was a longer term event and persisted through much of June 18th.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 16 to 17, 2010Several supercell thunderstorms brought very heavy rains of 4 to 7 inches, hail up to golfball size, winds to over 100 mph, along with a tornado to parts of north central South Dakota. Dewey county was the most affected by the storms.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in South Dakota, May 17 to 18, 2018Extreme rainfall and severe weather occurred along a stationary frontal boundary extending across the region. Thunderstorms training over the same area brought rainfall amounts from 3 to over 13 inches causing extensive flash flooding.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, July 17, 2019A complex of thunderstorms developed during the evening across western South Dakota, moving east and becoming more organized as the low-level jet increased focus into south central and southeast South Dakota late at night.
- Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 16, 2004Rainfall of 3 to 8 inches caused flooding of numerous basements. Structural damaged was caused to several of the basements as walls caved in. Ground floors of several residences, businesses, and schools were flooded, including a dentists office.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Dakota, May 22 to 23, 2016A cluster of severe thunderstorms tracked slowly northeastward from Nebraska across south central South Dakota during the late afternoon and evening. Large hail and strong wind gusts were reported across Todd and southern Tripp Counties.
More
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 2026-09-24.