Sweltering heat remains across the South-Central Plains, Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley, and the Southwest this week with limited nighttime relief. Thunderstorms will bring heavy rainfall leading to localized flash flooding in portions of the Desert Southwest and central Plains. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across portions of the central Plains into the Northeast. Read More >
Overview
Late in the afternoon on May 18, 2018, a localized thunderstorm moved over Rapid City and dumped two to three inches of rain in about an hour. Runoff from the heavy rainfall flooded streets and low-lying areas. Rapid Creek quickly rose and overflowed its banks near the Fairgrounds. In Rapid City, several water rescues were performed by the fire department. The heaviest rainfall fell over the Robbinsdale area, where the runoff filled a detention pond near the park and tore up sections of asphalt on Fairlane Drive. Several vehicles were pushed by the rushing water and one vehicle ended up in the Robbinsdale Park detention pond.
Flooding
Radar/Photos
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| Radar Storm Total Accumulation with Rainfall Reports | Animation of Radar Reflectivity |
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| Water-swept Truck (Rapid City Fire Dept.) |
Water-swept Car (Rapid City Fire Dept.) |
Water-damaged Asphalt (Rapid City Fire Dept.) |
Flooding of Robbinsdale Pond (Pennington Co. Sheriff's Dept.) |
— Rapid City Fire Dept (@RapidCityFire) May 19, 2018
Rain Reports
| Location | Amount | Source |
| Rapid City 2SSE | 2.60 | CoCoRaHS |
| Rapid City NWS | 1.79 | Rapid City NWS Employees |
| Rapid Creek at Founders Park | 1.32 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| Box Elder Creek near Rapid City | 1.06 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| Rapid City 4.7E | 0.90 | CoCoRaHS |
| Rapid Creek below Hawthrone Ditch | 0.71 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| Rapid Creek at Water Reclamation Facility | 0.71 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| Rapid City 3.4 WNW | 0.67 | CoCoRaHS |
| South Canyon near Rapid City | 0.64 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| South Rapid Foothills | 0.50 | Private Weather Station |
| Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City | 0.25 | USGS Automated River Gage |
| Rapid City Airport | 0.21 | ASOS |
| Rapid City RAWS | 0.19 | RAWS |
| Box Elder 1.6NE | 0.13 | CoCoRaHS |
| Ellsworth Airforce Base | 0.08 | ASOS |
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