South Dakota

Canton, South Dakota residents call for accountability in aftermath of ‘thousand-year flood’

Published

1 year ago

August 22, 2024

Canton, South Dakota residents call for accountability in aftermath of ‘thousand-year flood’

South Dakota residents have been rebuilding this summer after flash floods in June damaged homes, destroyed valuables and displaced families across the tri-state area.

Canton was one of the areas hit hardest in South Dakota, with some areas in the city receiving more than 18 inches of rain between June 20 and 22, almost exactly a decade after a similar flood washed over the community in 2014. Government officials called this a thousand-year flood, and the small community of roughly 3,000 fell within the less than .1% chance of such a rainfall event happening in any given year, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.

Yet, without municipal support, the Canton community rallied to stack sandbags against homes and dispose of ruined furniture in June. Now, nearly two months later, residents are still trying to repair damages and return to their normal routines. And they want to see administrative and structural changes in Canton, so that a situation like this doesn’t happen again, or at minimum, loss can be proactively mitigated.

Gregg Ulrickson, a landlord on North Cedar Street, said his apartments filled with 2 feet of water during the flood. All the drywall in the building needed to be replaced, along with the cabinets and furniture.

“It’s everything,” he said. “There’s just no end to it.”

More: Canton residents lambaste mayor, commissioner for lack of emergency flooding response plan

Ulrickson expects to re-paint everything by the end of the week and wants to begin renting out apartments again by Oct. 1, after residents were forced to leave their units. But outside his apartments, large pieces of the street are still missing because of the deluge of water.

“That I know of, there was no city resources to help,” Ulrickson said. “But they said 10 years ago, this would only happen once every 100 years […] Their infrastructure needs help, needs to be redone.”

Trintje Nordlie has lived on North Cedar Street for 36 years. She remembers the last flood of this size a decade ago.

“Why is it that every 10 years, we get a waterfall down this road?” Nordlie asked. “Canton is not really wanting a swimming pool, they want these streets fixed.”

The city of Canton broke ground on its outdoor swimming pool project in 2023, which has an estimated value of $6.8 million according to Construction Journal.

During the torrential rainfall in June, Nordlie and her husband were up all night trying to get the rainwater and sewage out of their basement. She said she had not received any guidance from the city.

“They just tell you, ‘Oh, you can do it on your own.’ Well, you can’t do it on your own,” Nordlie said, though she did not specify who told her.

Meanwhile, volunteer firefighters went home to home throughout the city in the immediate days after, using smaller diversion pumps to help residents push water out of their homes to street drains, with at least one instance taking three to five hours alone.

In a City Commission meeting on Aug. 5, 2024, more than a month later, the commissioners passed a motion to have an engineer look at North Cedar Street and determine the best way to avoid flooding during future natural disaster events.

Canton resident Miranda Oien said the city had helped residents by allowing damaged belongings to be brought to the high school parking lot to be disposed of by the city.

But even this initiative was originally started by Canton resident Joseph Kumlien, after he found out that the roads to the City of Canton rubble site were flooded with water.

Oien said the city neglected to update its natural disaster emergency plan, which hadn’t been updated since 2003. A public letter from Mayor Sandi Lundstrom on June 27 to residents confirmed this, with the understanding the city would be conducting an evaluation of areas where the city fell short and creating an action plan to improve the “community’s readiness for future events.”

“This isn’t the first time this kind of flood has happened,” Kumlien said. “It was really crazy, the amount of non-plan that they had in place for a big flood.”

On Holiday Drive, water rushed down the sloped street and into residents’ houses, while water from the small lake behind them simultaneously spilled over into their backyards.

Jason Steinmetz’s home on Holiday Drive filled with 3 feet of water. His two teenage children had to park their cars on the street during the flood, and both cars were totaled from water damage.

Almost two months later, his two teenagers are still living out of plastic boxes in their basement, where the sheetrock, carpeting and bathroom all needed to be replaced.

Steinmetz and his wife are both teachers, so they have been watching YouTube tutorials and restoring their house at night after work.

“We have three kids, so we didn’t have, you know, a ton of extra money to be throwing at redoing all that stuff,” he said. “Plus, we’re replacing cars.”

More: ‘Not much sleep:’ Residents share stories of flooding impact

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, offers resources and compensation for survivors of disasters after a major disaster declaration has been declared.

In a Aug. 15 press release, President Joe Biden signed off on a major disaster declaration for South Dakota after Gov. Kristi Noem formally requested one on July 26 for 25 counties in with severe flood damage, including Lincoln County, where Canton is the seat.

Several Canton residents, including Steinmetz, reported that FEMA stopped by to look at their homes in early August, but they haven’t heard anything more. As of Monday, FEMA inspectors were finally starting to conduct damage inspections in Canton homes, along with other surrounding areas affected.

“You didn’t really hear much, you know, from the mayor on what’s going on,” Steinmetz said as of Tuesday. “My wife had to get on the Facebook page and be like, ‘Hey, did anyone hear that FEMA was in town?’”

Amy Bergren lives on South Pleasant Street, where she and her neighbors have had multiple sewage backups in their homes in the past month and a half.

Residents of Pleasant Street cannot drink their tap water, which is often brown and smells like sewage, but they still have to wash their dishes with the water and bathe in it.

After the flooding in June, Bergren said her family had to use the bathroom outside for eight days. The city did not provide any portable toilets or other restroom options for them.

Canton was on wastewater restrictions for about six days following the flooding because of sewer backup and water system issues. And in the time since, the city has experienced at least five or six water main breaks and two or three water service disruptions.

As of Wednesday morning, Canton residents were alerted by the city they may notice a loss of water pressure due to water tower maintenance. Pressure was expected to resume when maintence was complete.

But Bergren said her neighbor’s dogs are getting sick from the sewage backups. Another neighbor has three kids, who are all starting their school year sleeping on air mattresses upstairs after their basement filled with sewage.

“It’s just been a nightmare, like one thing after another. We can’t leave our homes without wondering if we’re gonna come home to a mess,” Bergren said. “We’re tired of the city not taking accountability.”

More: Canton, South Dakota mayor promises change after residents criticize flood response

A construction project on Pleasant Street is intended to provide new sewer lines, storm sewers and water mains. Bergren said she was told by city commissioners that the project would be done by Oct. 13.

The sewage backup within the last week on South Pleasant Street was accidentally caused by the construction company working on the street.

However, Bergren said the construction company took accountability for the backup and paid for a cleaning company to clean the basements of those affected.

The city did not provide sanitation resources to the residents on Pleasant Street after the first few sewage backups. In a statement released on Aug. 9 to DakotaNewsNow, Lundstrom said these backups were caused by old infrastructure that couldn’t handle the large amounts of water entering its system after the flood.

“This has been an ongoing problem for years,” Lundstrom wrote.

Bergren said that during the flood, Canton needed a city administrator who would work directly with residents to handle financial and utility issues like this.

City commissioner Paul Garbers echoed this sentiment on June 24 at a City Commission meeting, where Canton residents expressed their anger at the lack of flood planning and resources.

“We need an administrator in this town to get the s–t done,” Garbers said, to applause from residents in the crowd at the meeting. “I am ready to be done (on the commission), because it sure ain’t worth the $2,000.”

Lundstrom responded to this critique via the June letter to the public posted to Canton’s website, where she wrote:

“Given the current natural disaster, it has become clear to me that our city requires the expertise of a qualified city administrator now instead of later […] I will collaborate with city officials, commissioners, staff and community leaders to create a proposal for hiring a dedicated professional city administrator.”

In following Canton City Commission meetings, residents have asked for a better city communication policy so that they don’t have to find all their information through social media

“I don’t know what else they want us to do,” Bergren said. “We’re financially drained. We’re exhausted, because we are constantly cleaning up a mess that we shouldn’t have to clean up.”

Lundstrom declined to comment and city officials have not responded after multiple attempts to reach out.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 22, 2025

Published

4 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

03-18-36-41-54, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

09-16-23-34-46, Lucky Ball: 07

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

01-09-18-19-44, Star Ball: 02, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

ICE in SD — from small towns to Operation: Prairie Thunder

Published

16 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

ICE in SD — from small towns to Operation: Prairie Thunder

Molly Wetsch

Reporter / Report for America corps member
605-531-7382
molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org

Five months after Operation: Prairie Thunder officially began, the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s collaborative anti-crime and immigration enforcement effort will continue into the new year, the governor’s office has confirmed.

The program was originally announced by Gov. Larry Rhoden to take place from July 28 through December.

One portion of Operation: Prairie Thunder involves the state’s entrance into multiple 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allow ICE to delegate some authority to state and local law enforcement agencies.

That happened as immigration enforcement operations ramped up after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who nominated former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the Department of Homeland Security secretary.

Under Trump and Noem, more than 500,000 people have been deported from the country, according to Homeland Security, which has not released state-by-state deportation numbers.

ICE arrest data indicates focus on Hispanic, male individuals

In South Dakota, ICE and Homeland Security have been visible, especially in small towns in the eastern part of the state.

In July, ICE confirmed an active investigation at the Trail King Industries Inc. manufacturing plant in Mitchell, though no further information has been released about whether that investigation resulted in arrests, detainments or deportations.

In May, Manitou Equipment and Global Polymer Industries in Madison saw eight people arrested on immigration charges.

And in October, Drumgoon Dairy near Lake Norden confirmed that the company had been subjected to an immigration audit by Homeland Security, which is not the same as an immigration raid. But it resulted in the forced termination of 38 employees with citizenship information that was outdated, inaccurate or incomplete.

While nationwide ICE arrests and deportations have targeted a wide variety of individuals from multiple countries – including in neighboring Minnesota, where Somalian people have been the most recent target of ICE operations – South Dakota arrests have involved nearly all Hispanic people.

Most recent ICE arrestees in South Dakota are citizens of Mexico and Central America, with the majority coming from Mexico and Honduras, and 98% are male, according to government data obtained via a FOIA request from the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by South Dakota News Watch.

The project currently retains accurate state-based data from July 1 to Oct. 15. The data cannot accurately reflect any arrests prior to July 1 but can help to understand general arrest trends in South Dakota.

Hispanic people across the state have reported feeling less safe, said Ivan Romero, vice president of the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Latino Festival and Parade, which is hosted in Sioux Falls by the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was canceled this year due to safety concerns, Romero told News Watch in October.

“That was unfortunate, but people just don’t feel comfortable coming to Sioux Falls at this point,” he said.

The vast majority of detainer requests from July 1 to Oct. 15 went to the Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls, followed by the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City and the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

The Deportation Data Project defines detainer requests as “all requests to state, county, and municipal jails and prisons either for a person to be held on a detainer or for a notification of release date and time. A detainer is a request to a local jail to hold someone for 48 hours beyond when they otherwise would be released so that ICE can make an arrest in the jail while the individual remains detained.”

ICE said that detainer requests are most often lodged against an individual in an agency’s custody that poses a “public safety threat.” Other Homeland Security agencies can issue detainers, but most come from ICE, according to the agency’s website.

Operation: Prairie Thunder focuses on drug operations

To date, ICE has signed more than 1,200 287(g) agreements with agencies in 40 states, including five with various South Dakota agencies enabling parts of Operation: Prairie Thunder.

Those agreements take three different forms:

Task Force Agreement: The “force multiplier” program that allows law enforcement officers to adopt limited immigration enforcement duties, with ICE oversight. The South Dakota Highway Patrol signed this agreement on May 22 and the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigations signed it on June 11.
Warrant Service Officer: Allows law enforcement officers to execute warrants on behalf of ICE on individuals in their agency’s jail. The South Dakota Department of Corrections signed this agreement on Aug. 28, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office signed it on March 17 and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office in Pierre signed it on March 7.
Jail Enforcement Model: Allows law enforcement officers to identify and process individuals who may be in violation of immigration laws while they are serving time in their agency’s jail. The DOC signed this agreement on July 25.

While Operation: Prairie Thunder’s immigration enforcement prong has been well-publicized in the state, the majority of the program’s activity comes from enhanced traffic monitoring and drug enforcement, according to data released from the governor’s office.

According to a press release from Operation: Prairie Thunder, 260 of 406 – 64% – of individuals currently in custody as a result of Operation: Prairie Thunder have a drug charge and 156 have been cited with a drug charge and released. More than 2,000 traffic citations have been issued.

The “ICE Contacts” section of Operation: Prairie Thunder’s most recent dataset said that 89 people had been contacted in ICE-related situations since the program was announced. A representative from the Department of Public Safety told News Watch in a statement: “The intent of (Operation: Prairie Thunder) is to reduce crime in our communities.

“It is important to note that any ICE contacts are incidental contacts – we aren’t seeking out illegal aliens during the saturation patrols. However, the 287(g) agreement allows us to coordinate swiftly with ICE if a stop uncovers undocumented individuals. Those undocumented, non-citizens, are the people counted as ‘Individuals Contacted.’ Not all of those found to be undocumented are taken into custody, per ICE guidance, therefore the ‘Contacts’ and ‘Arrests’ sections differ.”

The program, which initially concentrated most of its efforts in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area, has started other efforts across the state.

Operation: Prairie Thunder most recently carried out operations in Belle Fourche, Huron and Yankton, where 75 individuals were taken into custody, 42 with a drug charge. Twenty-seven people were identified as ICE contacts.

The city of Brookings issued a statement on Dec. 12 that the operation would be coming to town Dec. 17-19 and that the city “would not be participating.”

Josie Harms, Rhoden’s press secretary, said the ongoing arrest and citation statistics indicate successful crime-fighting efforts.

“Our results remain impressive, and it is clear that this operation is keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free — so we are going to keep it up,” Harms said in a statement.

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email for statewide stories. Investigative reporter Molly Wetsch is a Report for America corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.

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South Dakota

No. 2 Texas shakes up South Dakota State, 70-51

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

No. 2 Texas shakes up South Dakota State, 70-51

Guard Jordan Lee knocked down three triples to pace Texas with 17 points in addition to four of the team’s 13 steals, while junior forward Madison Booker notched 14 points and nine rebounds and guard Rori Harmon added 11 points and seven assists.

Texas shot 45.5 percent from the field while holding South Dakota State to 36.6 percent, outscoring the Jackrabbits in the paint by 20 points, 44-22, and from the bench, 20-13.

The Longhorns jumped out to a quick start with a 12-0 lead as Lee hit an early three and the Texas defense held South Dakota State scoreless for the majority of the opening quarter until the Jackrabbits utilized a 10-3 run and closed out the first period trailing, 17-13. Texas outscored the Jackrabbits by five in the second quarter, hitting 47.1 percent from the field to keep a 33-24 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, South Dakota State cut the Texas lead to eight, but Harmon foundBooker for an elbow jumper to keep the Longhorns ahead by 10 points. Center Kyla Oldacre held the paint down with four points and a rebound to extend the Texas lead to 49-34.

In the final period, Texas guard Bryanna Preston made tremendous effort with a strong move to the basket with a three-point play in her return from injury after missing five weeks to push the lead to 21 points. Later, Preston stole the ball and found Lee in the corner for her third three of the game to extend the Texas lead to 66-43. The Longhorns ended up shooting 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from the field in the final quarter.

Next up, Texas hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 1 p.m. Central on SEC Network.

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