FLOODING

State seeks public's help preserving flood-damaged roads

PIERRE – State officials are asking for the public’s help to prevent further damage this fall to flood-soaked roads across much of eastern South Dakota.

By News release , October 08, 2010

Rounds: State will expend $8M on flood relief

Gov. Mike Rounds said the state has spent $6.8 million so far on flood relief and will end up spending $8 million.
“There’s been significant damage in eastern South Dakota,” Rounds said during an interview Tuesday for The Daily Republic’s website video series, Word on the Street, available at www.mitchellrepublic.com.
“It’s not going away,” he said.

By Tom Lawrence , August 06, 2010

Springs breaks annual precipitation record

WESSINGTON SPRINGS — With nearly five months left in the year, Wessington Springs already has broken its local record for annual precipitation.
So far this year, the town has received 34.38 inches, breaking the previous record of 34.13 inches that fell in all of 1995.
The record was broken Tuesday night, when overnight rainfall was measured at 2.9 inches by the National Weather Service. Residents’ rain gauges showed anywhere from 3 to 4 inches.

By Daniel Mollet , August 05, 2010

Woonsocket works to control water

WOONSOCKET — Woonsocket residents are keeping their eyes to the skies, hoping to avoid further rain that could overwhelm a two-block long dike made of sandbags and gravel.
Some of the town’s residents, who only weeks ago piled sandbags to channel floodwater away from their homes, spent the weekend piling at least 6,000 sandbags on the northern edge of town in an attempt to keep floodwater away.

By Austin Kaus , August 03, 2010

Area dealing with soggy aftermath

Firesteel Creek set a new record crest at 16.1 feet Saturday night, creating flows that resembled a raging river over the Lake Mitchell spillway.
Public Works Director Tim McGannon said the lake peaked at 38 inches above the spillway and was receding Sunday. That caused several parks, beaches, boat docks and ramps to close.
A no-wake order on the lake took effect Saturday afternoon, and the city Public Safety Department banned all watercraft on the lake about 7 p.m. because of high water levels and debris. As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the water level dropped to 33.5 feet.

By Melanie Brandert , August 02, 2010

Six of Wild Oak’s 18 holes are still under water as the course ponders its next step

The 12th green at Wild Oak Golf Club is surrounded by water. On one side, the Firesteel Creek has crept within about 12 feet of the pinhole, creating a soft, spongy surface. A non-operating drainage pump rests on the other side while course officials wait for the water level to go down, right next to an overflow of water in the fairway.

By Luke Hagen , July 02, 2010

Congresswoman presses flood concerns with FEMA

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., has personally met with the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make it clear how seriously flooding is impacting South Dakota, she said Thursday.
Herseth Sandlin requested the face-to-face meeting with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, which was held Wednesday, she said during a teleconference with South Dakota reporters.
“Outside resources are imperative to get these communities back on their feet,” Herseth Sandlin said on the call.

By Tom Lawrence , June 25, 2010

Water invades Woonsocket

WOONSOCKET — Residents of Woonsocket were joined by 100 National Guard soldiers and alternating groups of 50 inmates Thursday as they scrambled to respond to onrushing floodwater.
The National Weather Service said the cause of the flooding is Sand Creek, which runs north of Woonsocket and flows from west to east until it drains into the James River at Forestburg. That creek — swollen by recent heavy rains — is overflowing into drainage and railroad ditches and into to the north part of Woonsocket.

June 25, 2010

Agency keeps eye on flooding

The state of South Dakota has closely monitored flooding in the southeast corner of the state, according to the director of the state office of Emergency Management.
Kristi Turman said her staff has toured the area and been in regular contact with Charles Mix County and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. They were told things were under control and progress was being made to deal with the flooding, Turman said.

By Tom Lawrence , June 17, 2010

Neighbors pitch in to battle area communities’ flooding

ARMOUR — Jim Montgomery grew up around big cities, but he’s a fan of small towns and the people who live in them.
Especially now.
Montgomery said his neighbors helped him as he dealt with major damage at his home in Armour after the massive amount of rain that fell last week. Heavy winds accompanied the rain on Friday, adding to the misery, he said.

By Tom Lawrence , June 16, 2010

Residents asked to check sump pumps

The city of Mitchell asks that all residents check their sump pit to be sure it is draining into the street, not into the sewer system.

June 16, 2010

Local man rescues woman from rushing waters of Enemy Creek

An 18-year-old Mitchell man is being hailed as a hero after he helped remove a ranch-hand from swollen Enemy Creek on Saturday.
Reid Determan was assisting in sandbagging efforts at the farm of Dennis and Mary Reiners south of Mitchell when he saw Rose Nowlin leading two foals away from a barn threatened by floodwaters.

By Austin Kaus , June 16, 2010

High water impacts area boat ramps, campgrounds

PIERRE — Heavy rains over the past week have caused high water on Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River and have impacted campgrounds and boat ramps near Chamberlain, Pickstown, Gregory and Platte.

June 16, 2010

Davison commissioners consider seeking drainage assessment

Water-related complaints during Tuesday’s meeting at the courthouse led Davison County commissioners to call for a public meeting of the Drainage Board for 9:30 a.m. next Tuesday.
The commissioners, who are also the Drainage Board, expressed general agreement that professional help is needed to address waterflow issues in the county.
County resident Arlis Osen repeated his annual plea for drainage relief Tuesday.

By Ross Dolan , June 16, 2010

Marty cleans up following flash-flood devastation

MARTY — It looks like this small community was attacked. In a way, it was.
A wall of floodwater rushed through Marty on Saturday morning. It washed an SUV off a road and plunged its driver into 9 feet of water, ripped through homes and offices and left a devastating path of damage in its wake.
On Tuesday, the devastation was evident across this small, unincorporated town in Charles Mix County. Efforts were under way to pump murky, chocolatebrown water away from St. Paul Parish, a historic white church with an imposing steeple visible far from town.

By Tom Lawrence , June 16, 2010