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Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa

Highest listed crest 17.72 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft75 crests since 1951

The Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 75 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2023. The highest, 17.72 ft on June 10, 1972, was major flooding, 9.72 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Battle Creek (SD) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.72 ft
June 10, 1972; 21,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
3
31st of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
September 13, 2023
8.86 ft, minor flooding
Location
Custer County
South Dakota

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa
Action stage7.05Jul 18, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.011Sep 13, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.010May 28, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.03Aug 17, 2007Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

75 crests from 1951 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa, 1951 to 2023 05101520ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jun 24, 1951: 2.85 ft, below flood stage; 163 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1952: 14.00 ft, major flooding; 2,950 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1953: 5.56 ft, below flood stage; 519 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1954: 1.20 ft, below flood stage; 7 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1955: 1.37 ft, below flood stage; 16 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1956: 7.90 ft, action stage; 869 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1957: 12.16 ft, moderate flooding; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1958: 2.94 ft, below flood stage; 153 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1959: 2.00 ft, below flood stage; 34 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1960: 4.02 ft, below flood stage; 262 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1961: 2.96 ft, below flood stage; 190 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1962: 12.44 ft, moderate flooding; 1,820 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1963: 7.92 ft, action stage; 891 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1964: 3.22 ft, below flood stage; 164 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1965: 8.23 ft, minor flooding; 974 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1966: 2.78 ft, below flood stage; 90 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 8.75 ft, minor flooding; 984 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1968: 4.51 ft, below flood stage; 341 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1969: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 484 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1970: 5.60 ft, below flood stage; 520 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1971: 6.83 ft, below flood stage; 653 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1972: 17.72 ft, major flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1973: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 261 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1974: 3.09 ft, below flood stage; 44 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1975: 5.32 ft, below flood stage; 317 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1976: 11.40 ft, moderate flooding; 1,390 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1977: 4.21 ft, below flood stage; 142 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1978: 5.05 ft, below flood stage; 244 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1979: 5.92 ft, below flood stage; 367 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1979: 2.90 ft, below flood stage; 14 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1981: 7.97 ft, action stage; 689 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1982: 3.45 ft, below flood stage; 58 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1983: 3.05 ft, below flood stage; 29 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1984: 4.84 ft, below flood stage; 189 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1985: 7.60 ft, action stage; 593 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1986: 3.90 ft, below flood stage; 86 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1987: 4.18 ft, below flood stage; 113 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1988: 2.40 ft, below flood stage; 6 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1989: 5.75 ft, below flood stage; 205 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1990: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 683 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1991: 9.94 ft, minor flooding; 995 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1992: 3.00 ft, below flood stage; 23 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1993: 10.63 ft, moderate flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1994: 3.06 ft, below flood stage; 26 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1995: 12.68 ft, moderate flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 8.53 ft, minor flooding; 742 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1997: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 789 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1998: 9.71 ft, minor flooding; 949 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1999: 10.51 ft, moderate flooding; 1,190 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2000: 4.39 ft, below flood stage; 152 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2001: 5.77 ft, below flood stage; 309 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2002: 2.99 ft, below flood stage; 29 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2003: 3.45 ft, below flood stage; 61 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2003: 2.69 ft, below flood stage; 13 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2005: 2.85 ft, below flood stage; 20 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2006: 8.94 ft, minor flooding; 786 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2007: 16.14 ft, major flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2008: 10.05 ft, moderate flooding; 870 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2009: 4.95 ft, below flood stage; 135 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2010: 12.52 ft, moderate flooding; 2,270 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 8.76 ft, minor flooding; 769 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2011: 3.10 ft, below flood stage; 30 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 2011: 3.44 ft, below flood stageAug 6, 2013: 3.10 ft, below flood stage; 24 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2013: 9.54 ft, minor flooding; 900 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 11.04 ft, moderate flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2016: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 386 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2017: 3.04 ft, below flood stage; 22 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2018: 7.78 ft, action stage; 633 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2019: 12.51 ft, moderate flooding; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2020: 3.47 ft, below flood stage; 48 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2021: 3.32 ft, below flood stage; 36 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2022: 3.07 ft, below flood stage; 20 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2023: 8.86 ft, minor flooding; 846 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2023: 3.78 ft, below flood stage; 73 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.72 ft, Jun 10, 1972 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 8 8 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 75 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Battle Creek (SD) at Hermosa
1Jun 10, 197217.72+9.72Major21,400
2Aug 17, 200716.14+8.14Major18,600
3May 22, 195214.00+6.00Major2,950
4May 8, 199512.68+4.68Moderate2,400
5May 24, 201012.52+4.52Moderate2,270
6May 28, 201912.51+4.51Moderate2,280
7Jul 13, 196212.44+4.44Moderate1,820
8Jul 28, 195712.16+4.16Moderate1,950
9Jun 15, 197611.40+3.40Moderate1,390
10May 24, 201511.04+3.04Moderate1,560
11Jun 7, 199310.63+2.63Moderate1,130
12Jun 19, 199910.51+2.51Moderate1,190
13May 24, 200810.05+2.05Moderate870
14Jun 6, 19919.94+1.94Minor995
15Jun 18, 19989.71+1.71Minor949
16Oct 11, 20139.54+1.54Minor900
17Aug 8, 20068.94+0.94Minor786
18Sep 13, 20238.86+0.86Minor846
19May 25, 19978.81+0.81Minor789
20May 30, 20118.76+0.76Minor769
21Jun 12, 19678.75+0.75Minor984
22May 28, 19968.53+0.53Minor742
23May 30, 19908.40+0.40Minor683
24May 24, 19658.23+0.23Minor974
25May 18, 19817.97−0.03Action689
26Jun 16, 19637.92−0.08Action891
27Jul 2, 19567.90−0.10Action869
28Jul 18, 20187.78−0.22Action633
29Jul 15, 19857.60−0.40Action593
30Jun 1, 19716.83−1.17Below flood stage653
31May 21, 20166.36−1.64Below flood stage386
32Jul 29, 19795.92−2.08Below flood stage367
33Jul 12, 20015.77−2.23Below flood stage309
34Sep 7, 19895.75−2.25Below flood stage205
35Jun 12, 19705.60−2.40Below flood stage520
36Jun 19, 19535.56−2.44Below flood stage519
37Jul 17, 19695.39−2.61Below flood stage484
38Jun 19, 19755.32−2.68Below flood stage317
39Apr 20, 19735.12−2.88Below flood stage261
40May 18, 19785.05−2.95Below flood stage244
41Jul 2, 20094.95−3.05Below flood stage135
42Jun 11, 19844.84−3.16Below flood stage189
43Aug 7, 19684.51−3.49Below flood stage341
44Apr 25, 20004.39−3.61Below flood stage152
45Jul 27, 19774.21−3.79Below flood stage142
46Mar 5, 19874.18−3.82Below flood stage113
47May 27, 19604.02−3.98Below flood stage262
48Jun 14, 19863.90−4.10Below flood stage86
49Oct 12, 20233.78−4.22Below flood stage73
50May 30, 20203.47−4.53Below flood stage48

The worst floods along the Battle Creek (SD)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Battle Creek (SD) that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 10, 1972: 17.72 ft here, major flooding

  • KeystoneSD · Jun 9, 1972 · 14.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • KeystoneSD · Jun 9, 1972 · 14.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • HermosaSD · Jun 9, 1972 · 12.00 ft · Moderate · its highest

August 17, 2007: 16.14 ft here, major flooding

  • HermosaSD · Aug 18, 2007 · 9.66 ft · Minor

May 8, 1995: 12.68 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HermosaSD · May 9, 1995 · 9.30 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Battle Creek (SD)

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Battle Creek (SD)
KeystoneSD6.514.50 ft, Jun 9, 19721
KeystoneSD8.014.50 ft, Jun 9, 19721
Hermosa this gaugeSD8.017.72 ft, Jun 10, 19723
HermosaSD9.012.00 ft, Jun 9, 19720

Other gauges in Custer County

Flood gauges in Custer County
Hermosa9.012.00 ft, Jun 9, 19720
Buffalo Gap13.013.15 ft, May 21, 19780
Custer9.512.76 ft, Feb 9, 19792

Custer County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HERS2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.