States › South Dakota › Sanborn County › Flood
Flood in Sanborn County, South Dakota
95 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.
Sanborn County, South Dakota, has 95 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 20 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 88 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.8% of the 3,390 flood events recorded in South Dakota; its 16.7 per 100 square miles compares with 4.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 2 deaths in the county to floods and flash floods.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Sanborn County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 95 | 3,390 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 16.7 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 399.5 | 37.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 2 | 10 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
3Mar
11Apr
13May
17Jun
20Jul
10Aug
8Sep
5Oct
2Nov
2Dec
2
Recorded events
All 95 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Aug 2025 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2024 | Flood | — | $112K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2024 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2023 | Flood | — | — | $125K | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2023 | Flood | — | — | $157K | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | $190K | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2022 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2022 | Flood | — | — | $140K | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2022 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2022 | Flood | — | — | $180K | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2022 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2022 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2022 | Flood | — | — | $57K | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Mar 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Mar 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Feb 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Feb 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Feb 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jan 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jan 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Dec 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Dec 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Nov 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Nov 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 2019 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 2019 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2019 | Flood | — | $92K | $101K | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2019 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2019 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2019 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2019 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2019 | Flood | — | — | $16M | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2019 | Flood | — | $230K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2013 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2011 | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Sep 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2010 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2010 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Mar 2010 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2007 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Apr 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 May 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 19 May 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 May 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Apr 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Mar 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Sanborn County had?
95 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 Sanborn County?
25 Aug 2025 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Sanborn County?
The flood of 1 Jun 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $16M.
How does Sanborn County compare with South Dakota for flood?
16.7 events per 100 square miles against 4.5 statewide; the county holds 95 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.