North Sioux City purchases McCook Lake properties

By Alejandra Perez

Published January 13, 2026 at 3:15 PM CST

Ways To Subscribe

The South Dakota Department of Transportation shared this photo of Interstate 29 in the North Sioux City area as of 7 a.m., Monday, June 24, 2024. The Big Sioux River crested at a new record level of 46 feet at 8 a.m., and I-29 remains closed until further notice in South Dakota from exit 2 to exit 26.

North Sioux City has bought 16 McCook Lake properties that were demolished during the 2024 flood.

The June 2024 flooding event wreaked havoc in North Sioux City, including heavy damage to many homes in McCook Lake.

During the Sioux City Rotary Club meeting Monday, Chris Bogenrief, mayor of North Sioux City, said that the city offered to purchase around 22 lots and ended up closing on 16 last week, as first reported by the Sioux City Journal.

He said the city plans to fill the trenches that were created by the flood, reshape lots to match adjacent properties, and fix the shoreline to prevent additional erosion.

Bogenrief mentioned that the city had used their general fund to purchase the properties but initially wanted to use funds from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

In November, the city was awarded a Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Relief Action Plan to help with flood recovery.

Bogenrief said the city is yet to receive the funds and plans to use them for infrastructure projects.