Tornado History

South Dakota Tornado History

This page summarizes tornado history for South Dakota. The local dataset contains 1,904 tornado records from 1950 through 2026, with a strongest listed rating of F5 (Incredible damage) and at least $257.3M in reported property damage. The latest tornado record in this group is May 31, 2026. Across these records, NOAA lists 19 deaths and 486 injuries.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes1,904
Total Deaths19
Total Injuries486
Property Damage$257.3M
Avg Length2.7 mi
Avg Width79 yd

Key Tornado Facts for South Dakota

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 24.7 tornadoes per year (20.8/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 743 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in South Dakota with 6 deaths
2003 was the most active year with 86 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (339 events)
Longest tornado: 200 miles in South Dakota
Widest tornado: 2,667.0 yards in South Dakota
Most tornadoes in one day: 70 on Jun 24, 2003

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In South Dakota, June is the most active month with 743 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

8658290

Summary: 2003 was the most active year with 86 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EF3
F4
EF4
F5
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 740 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$43.4M$4.3M$434K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1992 with at least $43.4M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Tornado Count By County

Compares the counties with the most tornado records in this state dataset.

Brown
Lincoln
Minnehaha
Kingsbury
Hutchinson
Pennington
Turner
Charles Mix
Perkins
Spink
Meade
McCook
Lyman
Hand
Beadle
Todd
Clark
Deuel
Tripp
Miner

Summary: Brown County has the highest count in this state group with 83 tornado records.

Historical Track Sketch

F5 May 8, 19651965F4 May 30, 19981998F4 June 24, 20032003F4 June 7, 19651965F4 June 7, 19651965EF4 June 18, 20142014F4 July 7, 19691969F4 June 23, 20022002EF4 May 22, 20102010F3 June 16, 19921992F3 August 24, 20062006F3 May 7, 19931993F3 May 21, 19621962F3 July 23, 19731973F3 July 18, 1983F3 May 12, 1984F3 May 12, 1984F3 May 11, 1991F3 June 16, 1992F3 June 16, 1992F3 June 16, 1992F3 June 24, 2003F3 May 30, 1998F3 May 31, 1996F3 June 24, 2003EF3 May 5, 2007F3 June 21, 1961F3 June 21, 1961F3 June 21, 1961F3 June 5, 1962F3 June 6, 1963F3 July 18, 1963F3 July 12, 1965F3 June 26, 1965F3 July 31, 1966F3 June 25, 1969F3 June 15, 1970F3 August 3, 1981F3 June 21, 1983F3 June 21, 1983F3 June 18, 1954F3 June 18, 1954F3 June 18, 1954F3 August 6, 1956F3 June 9, 1957F3 May 30, 1959F3 July 18, 1965F3 May 20, 1965F3 July 3, 1971F3 July 1, 1973F3 June 19, 1954F3 June 21, 1961F3 May 8, 1965F3 May 24, 1965F3 May 14, 1962F3 May 14, 1962F3 May 14, 1962F3 May 15, 1962F3 May 16, 1962F3 May 21, 1962F3 June 7, 1965F3 June 20, 1968F3 June 20, 1968F3 June 20, 1968F3 July 9, 1971F3 July 9, 1971F3 July 24, 1971F3 May 31, 1996F3 June 23, 2002F3 August 24, 2006EF3 June 28, 2018EF3 May 30, 2022EF3 June 28, 2025F2 July 14, 1970EF2 September 10, 2019EF2 June 18, 2014F2 June 4, 1999F2 June 24, 2003EF2 September 10, 2019F2 June 18, 1967© OpenStreetMap contributors
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
May 8, 1965F5Tripp, South Dakota30.1 mi1760 yd01$2.5M
May 30, 1998F4McCook, South Dakota7 mi1600 yd6150$17.0M
June 24, 2003F4Kingsbury, South Dakota10 mi1000 yd04$3.0M
June 7, 1965F4Turner, South Dakota7.8 mi647 yd10$2.5M
June 7, 1965F4Yankton, South Dakota0 mi647 yd00$2.5M
June 18, 2014EF4Jerauld, South Dakota11.26 mi880 yd02$300K
July 7, 1969F4Harding, South Dakota1.8 mi133 yd00$25K
June 23, 2002F4Brown, South Dakota9 mi900 yd00N/A
May 22, 2010EF4Edmunds, South Dakota3.86 mi1200 yd00N/A
June 16, 1992F3Buffalo, South Dakota2 mi73 yd08$25.0M
August 24, 2006F3Beadle, South Dakota19.5 mi500 yd02$15.0M
May 7, 1993F3McCook, South Dakota10 mi100 yd00$5.0M
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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