Parmelee, South Dakota
5 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the West Todd unorganized territory. It lies in ZIP code area 57566. The Survey maps it on the Parmelee quadrangle. 606 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,638 feet above sea level.
On record in Parmelee
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Population over time
2 figuresParmelee grew from 562 to 606 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 562 | |
| 2020 | 606 | +44 (+8%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 5 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1955 USGS Martin quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Martin quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Parmelee quadrangle1:24000
- 1983 USGS Martin quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
499 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 499 fires within 5 miles of Parmelee between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,974 acres in total. 48 started naturally. 70 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 140 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 70 |
| Debris and open burning | 60 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 60 |
| Natural | 48 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 48 |
| Fireworks | 44 |
| Other causes | 20 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1998 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | BETTY |
| 8 September 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | CHURCH FIRE |
| 7 September 1994 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | CAR#17 |
| 5 September 2000 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | 3 DUMP |
| 5 September 1997 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 2.0 acres | Rosebud Agency | JUG |
| 4 September 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | HIGH HEEL |
| 4 September 1995 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | PARM.KIDS |
| 4 September 1993 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Rosebud Agency | HORSESHOE |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Parmelee: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heinert Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Rosebud Sioux Pit 1265 1/2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Rosebud Sioux Pit Ref 3110 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 111 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Parmelee in 111 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 68 thunderstorm wind, 30 hail, 6 tornado, 4 flash flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1999 | Lightning | Parmelee | 1 hurt | A 32 year old man was paralyzed by lightning when lightning struck the screen door in front of him. He was knocked to the ground and witnesses say that he was indirectly hit by the lightning strike. Paramedics on scene noted that there were no entrance or exit wounds. He was transported to Rapid City for medical care. |
| May 2019 | Flood | Parmelee | $100,000 | A few roads were flooded near the Keya Paha River, Little White River, and smaller tributaries of these rivers. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Parmelee | $60,000 | Debris clogged the outlet works at Ghost Hawk Dam and Rosebud Dam, causing the dams to overflow after heavy rain. In addition, a breach of Omaha Boy Dam, about a mile southwest of the Rosebud Dam, increased inflows into the lake. Several culverts and roads were damaged by the flooding, including Ghost Hawk Road and Grass Mountain Road. The Little White River near Rosebud rose from less than 100 cfs to over 1000 cfs in less than four hours, with a peak flow of 1300 cfs. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | $50,000 | A roof was blown off a house and power lines were blown down at the Upper Cut Meat housing area. The nearby Magpie Creek RAWS measured a wind gust of 78 mph. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Parmelee | $10,000 | Two to three inches of rain fell over the Rosebud Reservation in less than three hours. Several rural roads were washed out. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | $5,000 | The combination of hail and wind produced minor damage. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | SD mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Time estimated from radar. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | SD mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | SD mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | SD Mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| July 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Parmelee | - | No damage reported. Track based on chaser video and reports. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Parmelee | - | Storm chaser report. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Parmelee | - | Storm chaser confirmed baseball size hail. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | SD Mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Several buildings in the Parmalee area sustained roof damage and broken windows. Many vehicles had damage as well. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Parmelee | - | Runoff from heavy rain quickly flooded fields and washed gravel off rural roads. The Little White River rose a couple of feet in an hour. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | The spotter estimated wind gusts at 60 mph. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Event time was estimated from radar. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | Wind gusts to 60 mph were estimated. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | The Magpie Creek RAWS measured a wind gust of 63 mph. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | A 63 mph wind gust was measured by the Magpie Creek RAWS. |
| July 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Parmelee | - | A spotter observed a brief tornado in open area near the intersection of US Highway 18 and state Highway 63. Path length and width were estimated. |
| July 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Parmelee | - | A storm chaser observed a tornado over prairie land northwest of Parmalee. The storm location was estimated by radar. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Parmelee | - | Minor flooding occurred along small streams around Parmelee in northwestern Todd County. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Parmelee | - | Water covered portions of Highway 63 near Parmalee and flowed over secondary roads around Parmalee. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | The Magpie Creek RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph around 5:25 pm CST. |
| May 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Parmelee | - | Brief Touchdown. Tornado path and width estimated |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Parmelee | - | Time of tornado observance was sometime between 1515MDT and 1700MDT. The tornadoes were both small and appeared at the same time from the same storm. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Parmelee | - | Time of tornado observance was sometime between 1515MDT and 1700MDT. The tornadoes were both small and appeared at the same time from the same storm. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Hail | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Hail | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Hail | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parmelee | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier Creek | 7.3 miles | 5 | |
| Two Strike | 11.0 miles | 5 | |
| Rosebud | 11.1 miles | 5 | |
| Saint Francis | 13.9 miles | 5 | |
| Spring Creek | 14.2 miles | 5 | |
| Mission | 19.6 miles | 5 | |
| Antelope Development Area | 20.8 miles | 5 | |
| Antelope | 21.1 miles | 5 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Parmelee | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2215582 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1256960. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.



