Flooding and Flash Flooding

The City’s Emergency Management team is prepared to respond to floods and flash floods in Sioux Falls. Flooding typically happens during times of heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt.

Timeline

Friday, June 21

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for the area until 9:15 AM. CDT.
City activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in response to flash flooding. Last activated in April 2024 in response to a 911 outage, the EOC is used to easily collaborate with city departments and partner agencies and respond accordingly for a variety of events.

Saturday, June 22

The City’s wastewater system began running over capacity, approximately 4x the normal flow. Minor amounts of untreated wastewater, heavily diluted by rain, began being discharged into the Big Sioux River.
City issued an emergency declaration, which enables city teams to rapidly acquire resources needed to support this emergency response.
City recommends residents conserve water use.

Park and Trail Closures Map

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511 Updates

Latest Updates

Residents Asked to Report Flood Damage for Potential FEMA Help

This is the first step in the process to gain a federal disaster declaration for FEMA assistance. If the criteria are met, affected residents could receive financial help for flood damage.

Parks and Recreation Cleans Up After Flooding: Closures and Updates

Following last weekend’s flash flooding, Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation is actively engaged in cleanup efforts to ensure the safety of users.

Residents With Flood Damage Reminded of Permit Requirements

As property owners in Sioux Falls begin clean-up and repairs following recent flash flooding, Planning and Development Services is reminding residents to obtain building permits before repairing or rebuilding.

During a flood

It’s important to stay safe while flood waters are lowering, and as the clean-up process begins:

Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn around if you experience water on the road.
Reserve 911 for emergencies. To ensure first responders can quickly respond to life-threatening emergencies, call 211 for non life-threatening emergencies.
Respect road barricades. Do not drive around them, as they mark road and park closures. Driving past barricades could result in a fine amount of $132.50.
Keep a safe distance from rushing water. Follow posted safety signage and use common sense when observing flood waters.
Do not drain sump pumps into floor drains. Point sump pumps towards the lawn or storm sewers. The storm sewers underneath our streets are designed to carry away rainwater. The floor drains in our homes and business drain into the sanitary sewer system, which is not equipped to handle rainwater.

Resources

Alerts

Weather alerts are available through the City of Sioux Falls Alerts system with a free account. Flood and flash flood warnings are available via SMS, email and phone call.

More Information

Visit ready.gov for more flood-related resources.