MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) At 6pm Sunday evening, I-29 was closed in South Dakota from exit 2 to exit 9 with a levee being built across both lanes of traffic at exit four.  Traffic south into Nebraska is being diverted off of I-29 at Vermillion onto SD Highway 50 and then through back roads and highways into Nebraska.  Something similar is being done to get motorists from Nebraska into South Dakota. Detour maps and other information is available at SD511.org

Twenty-one of South Dakota’s sixty-six counties have been heavily impacted by recent rains and flooding.  State officials are advising citizens to report their losses due to flooding with local emergency management directors so that can be documented as a part of South Dakota’s request to the federal government for a disaster declaration.  A federal disaster declaration would bring in federal agencies like FEMA and disaster relief funding to help in flooding mitigation and relief efforts.

According to Governor Noem, in a press conference held over the weekend, the Big Sioux River will crest at 38.4 feet at North Sioux City around 7am tomorrow morning (Tuesday June 25, 2024) and the James River will crest either later today (Monday June 24, 2024) or tomorrow.

Initial rainfall reports put Canton at 18.2 inches, Mitchell at 7.4 inches and Sioux Falls at 7.3 inches as of Saturday.