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Flood in Lawrence 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.
Lawrence County, South Dakota, has 25 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 15 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 10 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 18 events against 7 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 3.1 per 100 square miles compares with 4.5 statewide.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Lawrence County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 25 | 3,390 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.1 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 9.6 | 37.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 10 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
4Jun
10Jul
7Aug
4Sep
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $297K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2013 | Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2008 | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2008 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2008 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2004 | Flash Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Lawrence 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 Lawrence County?
19 Aug 2024 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Lawrence County?
The flood of 4 Jun 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.0M.
How does Lawrence County compare with South Dakota for flood?
3.1 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.