Seth Tupper
Supervising senior producerSeth grew up in Wessington Springs and Kimball, graduated from Kimball High School, and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from South Dakota State University.
He previously reported for the Rapid City Journal, The Daily Republic in Mitchell, and The Daily Globe in Worthington, Minnesota.
He is the author of "Calvin Coolidge in the Black Hills," a contributor to the Fodor's guidebook "The Black Hills of South Dakota," and the co-author of "Surviving the '72 Flood."
He won a national Edward R. Murrow Award in 2021 for his investigative report on the political and environmental ramifications of fireworks displays at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Seth is based at SDPB's Black Hills Studio in Rapid City.
Send Seth a story tip via email.
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The 50th commemoration of the 1972 Black Hills Flood is Thursday. It’s a time to honor the 238 people who died, and it also brings a flood of memories for those who survived. -
Thursday marks 50 years since a flood killed 238 people in Rapid City, South Dakota. Survivors say it's important to tell their stories, so future generations don't repeat deadly mistakes of the past.
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In the days, weeks and years after the 1972 Rapid City flood, lives change, memories linger and Rapid City rebuilds. Mayor Don Barnett, in office during the flood, recounts June 9, 1972, and the important decisions made during the following few days to change the face of the city. Flood survivors share memories of the flood five decades later. -
A torrent of water rushes out of the Black Hills and through western Rapid City. A Native American woman is warned to leave for higher ground, but some family members try to ride out the flood and perish. Two couples escape their car and stay above the rising water by jumping onto floating rooftops. A welding supply business is inundated, so employees spend the night on top of a display counter. And National Guard soldiers are called to life-saving duty.
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A torrent of water rushes out of the Black Hills and through western Rapid City. The son of a funeral director is called in to help his dad when they are overwhelmed with the bodies of flood victims. A pastor and his family are trapped in flood waters. A young man takes refuge with his parents in one of the few homes that withstands the flood. A department store owner loses everything as the flood takes his merchandise away and leaves several feet of mud behind.
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The 50th commemoration of the 1972 Black Hills Flood is June 9. It’s a time to honor the 238 people who died, and it also brings a flood of memories for those who survived. Each week between now and June 9, SDPB is sharing stories from those survivors, in their own words. -
The 50th commemoration of the 1972 Black Hills Flood is June 9. It’s a time to honor the 238 people who died, and it also brings a flood of memories for those who survived. Each week between now and June 9, SDPB is sharing stories from those survivors, in their own words. -
A torrent of water rushes out of the Black Hills toward Rapid City. A teenager finds his mother’s home surrounded by raging water, while a man living high above Rapid Creek watches helplessly as homes and lives are swept away below. A real-estate developer is trapped by high water in one of his condominiums, and a young man is thrown into the water when a house breaks apart. Meanwhile, a National Guard soldier struggles to save a family on a rooftop.
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The 50th commemoration of the 1972 Black Hills Flood is June 9. It’s a time to honor the 238 people who died, and it also brings a flood of memories for those who survived. Each week between now and June 9, SDPB is sharing stories from those survivors, in their own words. -
The 50th commemoration of the Black Hills Flood is on June 9th. It’s a time to honor the 238 people who died, and it also brings a flood of memories for those who survived. Each week between now and June 9th, SDPB is sharing stories from those survivors, in their own words.
