Live updates: Flash flood warning issued for Canton. Sioux Falls under flood watch until Saturday. (2024)

Update as of 4:15 p.m.: The NWS is urging drivers to use caution on their commutes home Thursday evening.

"A band of showers and storms producing a half an inch to an inch of rain per hour will move across the Sioux Falls metro through the evening commute," the NWS stated on X. "This will lead to ponding of water on roads."

The band is headed northward, from the area where the flash flood warning was issued earlier.

Update as of 3:45 p.m.: A flash flood warning has been issued until 6:45 p.m. for areas including Canton, Lennox and Freeman, according to the NWS.

Earlier story: Severe storms and heavy rainfall are expected to continue the next few days in southeastern South Dakota, increasing the risk of flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS issued a flood watch from 8 p.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Saturday morning for Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. By Saturday, storms are predicted to bring 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in the area, with a few cases of 6 inches or more.

According to an NWS post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sioux Falls has already accumulated 0.51 inches of rainfall in the past 24 hours. The heavy rainfall may lead to flooding in urban areas and in creeks and streams.

“The soils are becoming slightly saturated, so they can't hold much more water, especially in rural areas,” said Tim Masters, a hydro-meteorological technician with NWS. “And in the urban downtown areas where there's a lot of concrete, there's becoming drainage issues when the water comes down so hard.”

When will the rain end?

Storms with chances of heavy rain, hail and damaging wind are possible 8 p.m. to midnight Thursday in southeastern South Dakota.

The second round of storms is expected to hit Friday evening. From 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, scattered severe storms are possible in southeastern South Dakota, with a chance of heavy rainfall, hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.

What to do if waters rise:

In the case of severe storms, Masters says, the most important thing to know is where to go if a warning is issued. If you are camping, locate the severe weather shelter, and if you live in a valley or near a river, find higher elevation during a flood.

How's the rest of the weekend look?

Here’s the forecast for the rest of the week from the NWS:

Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 7 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 68. South southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Saturday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. South southwest wind around 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 68.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 87.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Stay with the Argus Leader and refresh this page for updates. Kathryn Kovalenko is an intern for the Argus Leader, paid for by a grant program through Bethel University this summer.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Weather updates: Sioux Falls under flood watch through Saturday