More for South Dakota: Highest flood risk cities · South Dakota live outlook

Current risk outlook

Flooding and heavy rain risk for Chester, SD.

Live conditions updated just now. Refreshes every 5–40 minutes.

This view focuses on street flooding, ponding in low-lying areas, and how heavy rain tends to behave around this city.

Live risk outlook

LOW

Low

Next 6–24 hours: Today: Low (16/100) · Rain 15% · 0.0 in · Max wind 5 to 10 mph.

No active local alerts at this moment.

Sources: NOAA, NWS, SPC, NHC, FEMA, USGS.

Historical risk score

Long-term baseline derived from historical hazard activity.

56

/ 100

Flood risk score56/100

For typical homes located in Chester, SD.

Baseline context

FEMA NFHL flood zones: 12 features intersect this tile.

Local historical hazard map

Chester, SD

Historical baseline tiles

Click a tile to update scores. These layers show long-term historical baseline risk, not live warnings or short-term forecast risk.

Live flood alerts & official forecast (NWS)

Forecast office: FSD · radar KFSD

Flood intelligence snapshot

FEMA flood zones (NFHL)

Dominant zone: X (77% of features)

SFHA share: 23% (feature-weighted)

NFHL features in tile: 132

Tile risk label: Moderate

Source: FEMA NFHL (MapServer).

Nearest river gauge (USGS)

SKUNK CREEK NEAR CHESTER,SD (06481480)

Stage: 0.72 ft

Discharge: 0 ft3/s

Observed: local time

Distance from Chester: 6 mi

Source: USGS NWIS (instant values).

Soil saturation (model)

Soil moisture: 9% volumetric

Last 24h rain: 0.00 in

Updated: local time

Source: Open-Meteo soil model (proxy).

5-day flood & rain outlook

Today

LOW

Rain chance: 15% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 5 to 10 mph

Risk score: 16/100

Tomorrow

LOW

Rain chance: 5% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 5 to 15 mph

Risk score: 12/100

Fri

LOW

Rain chance: 2% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 5 to 15 mph

Risk score: 11/100

Sat

LOW

Rain chance: 17%

Max wind: 10 to 20 mph

Risk score: 17/100

Sun

LOW

Rain chance: 37%

Max wind: 15 to 20 mph

Risk score: 25/100

Outlook blends NWS forecast, WPC QPF totals, and Excessive Rainfall Outlook categories.

Historical flooding exposure

Local flood data facts

NFHL features in this tile132
Dominant FEMA zoneX (77%)
SFHA share of features23%
Nearest USGS gauge6 mi · 0.72 ft

Data from FEMA NFHL, USGS gauges, and Open-Meteo soil moisture.

Historical flooding exposure in Chester

  • Lowest-lying streets and drainage chokepoints tend to flood first during heavy rain.
  • Long-duration rainfall can raise ponding risk even without a named storm.
  • Local elevation and canal/river networks can amplify or reduce flood impacts.

Flood & storm risk FAQs for Chester

Does Chester flood often?

Flooding risk depends on elevation, drainage, and rainfall intensity. This model summarizes localized flood patterns from public datasets.

What causes street flooding without a storm surge?

Short bursts of heavy rain can overwhelm drains; longer events can saturate soils and keep water standing even after rain ends.