States › South Dakota › Butte County › Flood
Flood in Butte County, South Dakota
25 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 25 flood events in Butte County, South Dakota, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 11 years.
May is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 23 events against 2 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 3,390 flood events recorded in South Dakota; its 1.1 per 100 square miles compares with 4.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to floods and flash floods.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Butte County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 25 | 3,390 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.1 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 23.9 | 37.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 10 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | May | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
1May
11Jun
7Jul
4Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 25 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jul 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2019 | Flood | — | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2014 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 1 Jun 2013 | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2013 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2011 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2008 | Flood | — | $2.0M | $1K | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2008 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2008 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2008 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Butte County had?
25 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Butte County?
16 May 2020 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Butte County?
The flood of 5 Jun 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.0M and crop damage at $1K.
How does Butte County compare with South Dakota for flood?
1.1 events per 100 square miles against 4.5 statewide; the county holds 25 of the state's 3,390 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.