'At the mercy of the weather:' Lake Poinsett faces continued flooding

While the rest of South Dakota is drying out from recent snow and rain, officials continue to worry about the flooding at Lake Poinsett.

"I didn't expect to see this much water," said Hamlin County Emergency Manager Dave Schaefer. "The amount of debris in the lake is absolutely astounding."

Lake Poinsett, located in both Hamlin and Brookings counties near Arlington, has experienced significant flooding after a very wet winter. Several roads, including parts of Highway 81, are impassable due to water.

Last week, buildings were damaged as ice broke up on the lake, while melting snow has led to near-record water levels.

Ryan Vipond, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Aberdeen, said the inlet and outlet from the Big Sioux River to Lake Poinsett is extremely close to reaching its highest point ever: The water level currently sits at 1,657 feet, just a few inches shy of the 1,657.6 feet record.

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Schaefer says the water levels are close to what they were in 2011, when flooding and foot-thick ice chunks damaged homes along the lake. And as water continues to flow down the Big Sioux River into the lake, Schaefer says residents are fighting an uphill battle.

"They're doing what they can to protect their private property," he said. "We're at the mercy of the weather."

No homes have been made uninhabitable by the flooding, Schaefer said, although some outbuildings were destroyed. The Salvation Army is providing residents with flood cleanup kits, which include tools like mops, gloves, sponges and other products to help combat mold and other effects of the flooding.

Due to the fullness of the lake, a "no wake zone" is in effect for the area. Boats are barred from being closer than 300 feet to shore and can only reach speeds of 5 mph until the water levels lower.

Vipond said it is unknown when the waters will begin to recede, but "things probably won't go down any time soon."

A winter with heavy snowfall is the primary culprit in causing the flooding, Vipond said, but the quarter-inch of rain expected to fall later this week will likely not help matters. 

"We'll have to watch the spring rains that are coming in," he said. "Whether that has any impact, it's too early to say."

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