PIERRE — On Friday, Gov. Kristi Noem formally requested a major disaster declaration from the president for 25 counties due to the severe flooding that occurred in South Dakota between June 16 and July 8. Noem signed Executive Order 2024-06 declaring the disaster. According to the National Weather Service, the rain event that created this flooding was a 1,000-year event.

"We are submitting our request for a presidential disaster declaration to address the damage from a historic 1,000-year flood that impacted South Dakota,” said Noem in a news release. “We have been working with families, local governments and officials, and FEMA for weeks to assess the damage. I am so proud of what South Dakotans have been able to do to start piecing our communities back together.”

In the aftermath of the flooding, teams from the Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been on the ground conducting thorough damage assessments across the impacted areas, working closely to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate the necessary response efforts.

“This thorough damage assessment was normal protocol for a presidential disaster declaration, and it’s an important part of the process to make sure all eligible counties and citizens are included,” said Kristi Turman, director of the Division of Emergency Services at the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

During the flood, at least 11 river gauges hit new preliminary record-high levels. The Big Sioux River at Sioux City crested nearly 8 feet higher than previous records. New record crests were set at the following locations:

• Big Sioux River at Canton, Hawarden, Akron, Richland, Jefferson, and Sioux City
• Vermillion River at Davis, Wakonda, and Vermillion
• West Fork Vermillion River at Parker
• Turkey Ridge Creek at Centerville

The request for a presidential disaster declaration highlights a critical need in the following South Dakota counties: Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Gregory, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jackson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Tripp, Turner, Union, and Yankton.