Codington County Emergency Management Prepares for Spring Training and Low Flood Risk

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD – During Tuesday’s (3/24/26) Board of Commissioners meeting, Emergency Management Director Andrew Delgado presented the first official spring hydrologic outlook, indicating a significantly lower risk of flooding than in previous years.

A Favorable Flood Outlook

The National Weather Service recently released its initial flood assessment for the region, and Delgado noted that the findings were consistent with local observations.

“No real surprises there,” Delgado told the commissioners. “I mean, there’s a lower chance than normal for flooding this spring, so that’s good news, especially after last summer.”

The lower risk profile follows a winter that, despite some heavy individual storms, did not leave behind a major snowpack. Delgado emphasized that while the outlook is positive, his office remains in constant monitoring to ensure that any sudden changes in precipitation or temperature do not catch the county off guard.

Recapping the “Tournament Storm”

Delgado also provided a post-action review of the county’s response to the mid-March blizzard that coincided with the girls’ state basketball tournament. Although initial forecasts sparked fears of a “Snowmageddon,” Delgado noted that the actual impact was less severe, though his team was prepared for the worst.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as initially predicted,” Delgado said. He detailed the extensive behind-the-scenes coordination, including the staging of emergency resources.

“Our office worked behind the scenes to coordinate for shelter trailers. We got authorization to use both Red Cross and the state shelter trailer,” Delgado explained. “We had them pre-positioned at the high school since we had an event going on at the Extension Center. Search and Rescue also staged the snowcat at the fire department, so we didn’t have to drag it out through ten inches of snow later.”

Empowering the Community: April 8 Training

For residents interested in learning more about severe weather, Delgado announced upcoming Weather Spotter Training sessions. These classes, which are free and open to the public, are designed to teach locals how to identify dangerous cloud formations and accurately report severe weather to the National Weather Service.

The training is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, at the Codington County Extension Center. To accommodate different schedules, two sessions will be offered:

·         Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM

·         Evening Session: 6:00 PM

“Those classes last about two hours,” Delgado noted. “If you want to learn about cloud formations and which ones to be concerned about—or if you just want to be a weather spotter—feel free to come to those classes.”

Strengthening Interagency Ties

Beyond public outreach, Delgado highlighted ongoing efforts to streamline emergency response with regional partners. He recently hosted a roundtable at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with the National Guard to review the Incident Command System (ICS) and discuss how the Guard can best support local authorities during large-scale disasters.

Additionally, Delgado is refining a new mutual aid plan with local fire chiefs.

“Our initial plan for mutual aid wasn’t as feasible as we initially thought,” Delgado admitted. “So we do have a new way forward with that and are starting to work on it.”

Delgado concluded his report by urging residents to sign up for CodeRed emergency alerts. His office has been collaborating with local radio stations to increase awareness of the system, which provides real-time notifications about weather warnings, road closures, and other public safety emergencies.