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Plankinton, South Dakota

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Plankinton Township. It lies in ZIP code area 57368. The Survey maps it on the Plankinton quadrangle. 781 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,526 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Plankinton within Aurora County

On record in Plankinton

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 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Plankinton grew from 707 to 781 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.

YearPeople Change
2010707
2020781+74 (+10%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

74 since 1999

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 74 fires within 5 miles of Plankinton between 1999 and 2017, burning about 1,123 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined44
Equipment and vehicle use14
Debris and open burning12
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Smoking1
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 September 2015Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionSCHROEDER FIRE
4 September 2004Debris and open burning2.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
26 September 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined40 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionKERR
26 September 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression1 TRASH BARREL
2 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionCIGERETTE 12
10 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionCOMBINE 12
9 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionELECTRIC SPARK 12
6 August 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named

Every fire recorded in Aurora County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Plankinton: 1 producer. All of them still produce. 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Markhardt PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Aurora County

Storms near this place

60 of 94 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Plankinton in 94 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 41 thunderstorm wind, 38 hail, 9 flood, 3 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
March 2019FloodPlankinton$600,000Snow melt and heavy rainfall (measured 1.80 inches at White Lake) resulted in significant flooding of agricultural lands and inundation of county roads as Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) reached moderate flood stage, cresting 6.44 feet above flood stage on March 22.
May 2007Tornado (EF3)Plankinton$300,000A tornado destroyed a hunting lodge and nearby outbuildings. The tornado also severely damaged a house, tossed a trailer 100 yards, and caused tree damage.
September 2019FloodPlankinton$25,000Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) responded sharply to 5 to 9 inches of rainfall between September 10-12 (6.49 inches at White Lake, 5.68 inches near Stickney and 7.83 inches 5 miles west southwest of Mitchell) to reach the sixth highest crest on record at 7.17 feet above flood stage on September 13. Innumerable county and township roads were inundated and damaged, along with extensive agricultural flooding.
July 2017HailPlankinton$10,000Hail, blown by 65 to 75 mph winds, caused considerable damage to vehicle windshields on Interstate 90.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindPlankinton$10,000Broken windshields causing by wind blown hail along Interstate 90 between mile markers 305 and 308.
July 2009HailPlankinton$10,000Large hail covered the ground and severely damaged crops. The amount of crop damage was not known. The hail also damaged windows on a home and vehicles, and dented vehicles. The hail was accompanied by damaging winds.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindPlankinton$10,000Thunderstorm winds destroyed a hog barn, killing one sheep and injuring several others. The winds also blew off shingles from a barn and caused tree damage. The winds contributed to crop damage caused by accompanying large hail.
August 2004Thunderstorm WindPlankinton$10,000Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including a large tree blown onto a trailer.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindPlankinton$2,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees, blew doors off a barn, and damaged railroad ties in fencing.
July 2001LightningPlankinton$1,000Lightning started a fire that destroyed 15 large round hay bales.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm winds downed several 3-to-4-inch diameter tree branches across Plankinton.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a Road Weather Information System sensor near Plankinton.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-A second distinct period of severe thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a Road Weather Information System sensor 5 miles west of Plankinton.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a Road Weather Information System sensor 5 miles west of Plankinton.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station 3 miles northeast of Plankinton.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-The emergency manager measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-An extended period of severe wind gusts measured by South Dakota RWIS site near Plankinton.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Winds were measured by a personal weather station, with a peak gust at 2041 CST.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts peaked at 64 mph at 155 am CST at the South Dakota Road Weather Information System site near Plankinton.
June 2024Flash FloodPlankinton-Early evening rainfall was intense with 2 to 2.5 inches in a couple of hours, which resulted in widespread flash flooding in Plankinton. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for areal and river flooding for Aurora County.
June 2024Flash FloodPlankinton-Continued rainfall exacerbated flooding of roads with numerous barricaded and impassable. Several homes had flooded basements. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for areal and river flooding for Aurora County.
June 2024FloodPlankinton-Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon rose above flood stage the evening of June 21st, cresting around 8.94 feet above flood stage (16.94 feet) on June 22nd. This crest is in the Major Stage. The creek then fell below flood stage on the afternoon of June 27th. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for Aurora County.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts as high as 60 mph were measured by South Dakota Road Weather Information System site SD533 4 miles west of Plankinton.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-A thunderstorm wind gust of 65 mph was measured by a personal weather station.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-South Dakota Road Weather Information System site SD553 5 miles west of Plankinton measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 71 mph.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Approximately one-half mile of power poles were snapped, with many laying across Old Highway 16 west of Plankinton. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Metal roof panels were blown off a pole barn by thunderstorm winds. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Very large trees were uprooted all around Plankinton.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Massive damage was done to a chicken barn by thunderstorm wind gusts.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm wind gusts flipped 12 vehicles on Interstate 90 between White Lake and Plankinton.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-A thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph was measured by South Dakota Road Weather Information System site SD553 5 miles west of Plankinton.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Numerous powerlines were downed by falling trees throughout Plankinton.
June 2020FloodPlankinton-After rainfall June 8-9 which brought 2.65 inches 4 miles west of Plankinton, Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) crested 2.62 feet above flood stage on June 13. Main impacts were limited to flooding of agricultural land.
March 2020FloodPlankinton-Firesteel Creek near Mt. Vernon (gage site MTVS2) crested 3.4 feet above flood stage on March 4. Impacts were mainly minor flooding of agricultural lands near the creek.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-A personal weather station measured a wind gust to 59 mph.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Personal weather station measured a wind gust to 59 mph.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Wind gust to 62 mph measured by a personal weather station.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-South Dakota RWIS station SD553 measured a wind gust to 58 mph.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Tree damage with power outages reported.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Strong thunderstorm winds produced tree damage.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Wind measured by RWIS station.
May 2019FloodPlankinton-Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) reached a peak of 3.39 feet above flood stage on May 24. The main impact was inundation of agricultural land and additional delays to spring planting in the flood plain. Minor flooding continued at the end of the month.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Measured by RWIS station.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Five to six inch diameter branches down across Plankinton.
April 2019FloodPlankinton-Runoff from occasional precipitation in early April produced considerable flooding of agricultural lands along the river. Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) crested at 0.55 feet above flood stage on April 18.
April 2018FloodPlankinton-Snow melt and runoff from periods of heavier rainfall produced minor flooding which produced impacts to lowland agricultural areas. River levels reached 0.2 feet above flood stage on Firesteel Creek near Mt. Vernon (gage site MTVS2) on April 23.
March 2018FloodPlankinton-Heavy rainfall along with snow melt caused minor flooding of lowland agricultural areas along Firesteel Creek. The river reached a crest of 3.0 feet above flood stage near Mount Vernon (gage site MTVS2) on March 17.
August 2018HailPlankinton-Picture of hail received through social media.
June 2017HailPlankinton-Winds of 50 to 60 mph were also reported.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-A few tree limbs downed.
June 2010Flash FloodPlankinton-Heavy rain caused flash flooding of roads in the town of Plankinton. The rain also caused small creeks in the area to rise well out of their banks.
June 2009HailPlankinton-Large hail caused an unknown amount of crop damage.
July 2009HailPlankinton-Large hail whitened the ground.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindPlankinton-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including up to 4 inch diameter branches blown down.
June 2007HailPlankinton-Small hail was accompanied by a few stones of penny size.
April 2007Tornado (EF0)Plankinton-A tornado appeared to have intermittent surface contact during its path. There was no damage reported.
July 2003HailPlankinton-Large hail damaged crops. The amount of crop damage was not known.
July 2025HailPlankinton-no account filed
April 2021HailPlankinton-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Aurora County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Stickney9.1 miles11
White Lake12.2 miles8
Storla12.4 miles11
Aurora Center14.1 miles8

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 PlankintonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2515293The 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 1257087. 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.