Mayor Barnett's Role in Rapid City Flood Recovery

Mayor Barnett's role in Rapid City flood recovery

RAPID CITY, SD (KELO) -- Former Rapid City mayor Don Barnett is being praised for his leadership during the worst natural disaster in South Dakota history. Barnett died this week at the age of 83. In June of 1972, Barnett was the 29-year-old mayor of a city devastated by a flood that killed more than [...]

For Don Barnett, the 1972 flood was ‘tattooed on my brain and on my soul’

Don Barnett stands in front of the building that formerly housed city hall in this 2021 image in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. (Courtesy of Johnny Sundby Photography)Don Barnett, who died Monday at age 83, was the 29-year-old mayor of Rapid City when it was struck by a flood that killed 238 people on June 9, 1972. He received widespread praise for leading the recovery and helping to ensure that the city never again overbuilt in the Rapid Cr…

Former Rapid City Mayor Don Barnett, who led the city during epic 1972 flood, dies at 83

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Former Rapid City Mayor Don Barnett, who guided the city through the aftermath of the devastating 1972 flood and helped shape its long-term recovery, has died. City officials confirmed his death Thursday. Current Mayor Jason Salamun praised Barnett’s leadership during one of the most difficult periods in the city’s history. “In the face of unimaginable tragedy, former Mayor Don Barnett rose to the occasion during Rapid City’s …