Flood in Spink County, South Dakota

The continuation of snowmelt from a much above normal snowfall winter combined with a historic heavy snow/blizzard in mid-April resulted in widespread flooding across central and northeast South Dakota. Countless roads along with thousands of acres of cropland were flooded throughout April. Impacts include damaged roads, culverts, and bridges, and livestock, homes, and businesses were affected. Delayed planting resulted across all of the region as well. Cattle and calves were stressed by the cold and wet pattern, as the mud and cold caused some sickness with the livestock. Flooded roads made it difficult for many farmers or ranchers to get to their fields or livestock. There was a water rescue near Frederick on April 7th as someone drove into a washed out road. The wet pattern along with the flooding continued into May, further delaying planting across the region.

All counties declared emergencies/disasters in March and April due to the widespread flooding and March blizzard. South Dakota's governor declared a disaster for the state in March. This declaration was followed by a disaster declaration by the President of the United States. As a result, 24 of the 26 counties across central and northeast South Dakota were able to have access to public property damage assistance. Overall, damage estimates from the blizzards and floods for the state were at 43 million dollars.