Day County flood history
South Dakota · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 257 flood insurance claims in Day County, South Dakota since 1978. The NFIP paid $4.2 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1999, with 82.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 5 claims, and the average paid claim was $47,983.
63% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.3% of homes in Day County, South Dakota had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (12 of 4,240 residential buildings).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 10 flood-related disaster declarations covering Day County, South Dakota. The most recent was DR-4938-SD (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared September 1, 2026.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | $28,169 |
| 2020 | 4 | $115,781 |
| 2012 | 1 | $0 |
| 2011 | 54 | $1.7 million |
| 2010 | 32 | $458,971 |
| 2003 | 9 | $6,544 |
| 2002 | 4 | $56,165 |
| 2001 | 11 | $182,486 |
| 2000 | 5 | $50,000 |
| 1999 | 82 | $1.1 million |
| 1998 | 35 | $306,035 |
| 1997 | 9 | $53,533 |
| 1996 | 2 | $70,000 |
| 1995 | 2 | $1,459 |
| 1994 | 6 | $83,909 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe flooding | 2001 | 6 | $168,456 |
| Late spring storms | 2011 | 4 | $77,102 |
| Flooding | 1997 | 5 | $36,665 |
| Late spring storms | 2012 | 1 | $0 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 12 residential NFIP policies in Day County, against 4,240 residential buildings (0.3%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4938-SD | Sep 1, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4718-SD | Jul 6, 2023 | Flooding | No |
| DR-4656-SD | Jun 29, 2022 | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4469-SD | Nov 18, 2019 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4440-SD | Jun 7, 2019 | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1984-SD | May 13, 2011 | Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1915-SD | May 13, 2010 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1844-SD | Jun 16, 2009 | Severe Storms and Flooding | No |
| DR-1702-SD | May 22, 2007 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1375-SD | May 17, 2001 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams | No |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of South Dakota.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.