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Flood in Douglas County, South Dakota
20 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.
Douglas County, South Dakota, has 20 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 10 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 3,390 flood events recorded in South Dakota; its 4.6 per 100 square miles compares with 4.5 statewide.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Douglas County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 20 | 3,390 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 70.9 | 37.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 10 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
1May
1Jun
7Jul
4Aug
2Sep
3Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2024 | Flood | — | $582K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2019 | Flood | — | $21K | $59K | — | — | County |
| 10 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | — | — | $27M | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | $670K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1997 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Mar 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Douglas County had?
20 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 Douglas County?
21 Jun 2024 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Douglas County?
The flood of 1 Jun 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $27M.
How does Douglas County compare with South Dakota for flood?
4.6 events per 100 square miles against 4.5 statewide; the county holds 20 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.