OPINION: Kristi Noem's 2024 Flood S.D. Response Foreshadowed Texas Tragedy
Floodwaters, like history, can repeat
Flooding from the Big Sioux River in Canton, S.D., June 21-25, 2024. Photo from the S.D. Civil Air Patrol for the S.D. Office of Emergency Management. (released)
By Todd Epp, Northern Plains News
One year after catastrophic flooding along the Big Sioux River, Governor Kristi Noem's handling of that crisis offers a revealing preview of her response to the recent Texas floods over the Independence Day weekend.
In late June 2024, relentless rain---10 to 20 inches over three days---shattered records in southeast South Dakota, notably along the Big Sioux River near McCook Lake, North Sioux City, and the Missouri River confluence.
While conducting an airborne photo mission for a nonprofit assisting government officials, I witnessed a normally tranquil river transformed into a vast expanse of water. In fifteen years of aerial photography, I had never seen such widespread inundation. What I saw from the air were homes surrounded by water miles wide---a visual confirmation that disaster was unfolding.
On June 23, Governor Noem held a press conference in North Sioux City. According to residents, including Morgan Speichinger to the Washington Post, "Noem's press conference made it sound like it wasn't going to be bad for us... There was no talk of a massive flood coming our way."
Mere hours later, McCook Lake residents fled their homes as floodwaters surged, sweeping structures and utilities away. Despite visible danger---erosion, uprooted trees, live power lines, and boats stuck in trees---Noem said the situation "remains dangerous" and urged people to stay away while emphasizing that floods may have been inevitable given rainfall volumes.
I witnessed this rupture personally: from the air, I knew that something dire was imminent even as the governor offered reassurance on the ground. The contrast between the aerial evidence and the public messaging was stark.
Noem did not deploy the National Guard and waited more than a month to request FEMA aid---26 days after the flood crest and 34 days after June 23. In contrast, neighboring Iowa requested federal help within days. Critics have noted that while border security remained a priority, local rescue and recovery lagged.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press briefing at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, California, June 12, 2025. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour/Released)
Fast forward to July 4-6, 2025: Central Texas endures catastrophic flash floods that claim more than 100 lives, including children at a summer camp. While Trump-era budget cuts reduced National Weather Service staffing, meteorological experts confirmed the agency issued timely and adequate warnings for this event.
As Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Noem appeared in Texas, praising modernization of notification systems and correctly noting that forecasters had provided appropriate alerts, even as survivors lamented communication failures.
This pattern echoes.
In South Dakota, she downplayed the emerging threat, hesitated on mobilizing resources, and deferred to longer-term fixes. In Texas, she emphasizes systemic upgrades rather than immediate relief — despite families demanding answers about sirens, alert systems, and federal coordination.
My aerial view of the swollen Big Sioux served as an early warning---one that government messaging failed to match. Good policy demands transparency and urgency when lives and homes are at stake. What I saw from the sky was ignored in public statements and formal delays in action.
Now, as communities in Texas pay a steep toll, while forecasting challenges made this tragedy difficult to prevent entirely, similar delays in decisive action may have compounded the crisis.
Noem's trajectory---from state governor to national homeland security chief---carries consequences. Floods don't wait for bureaucracy. Climate‑driven disasters don't abide by political timing. In times of crisis, leaders who act quickly — visibly, and decisively save lives.
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