Rapid Creek at Silver City, SD
River level and flood forecast · Pennington County
Normal4.8 ftas of Mon 1:30 PM
The river is 8.2 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Flow: 35 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 5 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (May 15, 1965) | 10.44 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 18.7 ftWater covers the floor of the gage house.
- 14.5 ftHiking trail along Rapid Creek above Silver City begins to flood.
- 14 ftMajor flood stage. Extensive flooding along Rapid Creek with extensive inundation of structures and roads.
- 13.5 ftModerate flood stage. Some inundation of structures and roads near and along Rapid Creek above Pactola Dam.
- 13 ftFlood stage. Water begins to approach Silver City Road around Silver City.
- 10 ftThe lowest areas along the river begin to flood.
Highest crests on record
- 10.44 ft — May 15, 1965
- 9.59 ft — July 7, 2008
- 9 ft — June 18, 1998
- 8.9 ft — July 28, 1955
- 8.46 ft — July 5, 2019
Recent crests: 6.16 ft (January 16, 2024) · 5.25 ft (October 12, 2023) · 5.96 ft (June 30, 2023) · 6.32 ft (February 25, 2023) · 5.44 ft (August 26, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamRhoads Fork near Rochford, SD
- Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam, SD
- Rapid Creek above Johnson Siding, SD
- Boxelder Creek near Nemo, SD
- Victoria Creek above Victoria Dam nr Rapid City, SD
- Rapid Creek at Big Bend, SD
- Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City, SD
- Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam nr Rapid City, SD
- Castle Creek below Deerfield Reservoir, SD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (RSIS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.