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Tornado History

McPherson Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on McPherson, South Dakota. The records below identify 27 tornadoes from 1961 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.3M, with 2 deaths and 5 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes27
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries5
Property Damage$3.3M
Avg Length4.7 mi
Avg Width95 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for McPherson, South Dakota

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
July is the peak tornado month with 10 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in McPherson, South Dakota with 2 deaths
1961 was the most active year with 2 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (7 events)
Longest tornado: 49.7 miles in McPherson, South Dakota
Widest tornado: 550.0 yards in McPherson, South Dakota
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Jun 23, 2002

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 McPherson, South Dakota, July is the most active month with 10 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

20

Summary: 1961 was the most active year with 2 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
F2
EF2
F3
Unknown
EFU

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 9 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.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1979 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 July 31, 19661966F3 August 24, 20062006F2 June 28, 19611961F2 September 7, 19611961F2 July 6, 19621962EF2 May 22, 20102010EF2 July 4, 20202020F1 June 19, 19791979F1 August 10, 19631963F1 July 1, 19661966F1 September 8, 19911991F1 June 23, 20022002F0 August 22, 19851985F0 June 6, 19861986F0 August 3, 1996F0 July 20, 1996F0 July 22, 1999F0 July 18, 2001F0 June 23, 2002F0 June 26, 2005F0 August 9, 2006EF0 August 8, 2007EF0 September 30, 2014EF0 July 25, 2015EF0 July 25, 2015Unknown July 10, 1977EFU August 5, 2025© OpenStreetMap contributors

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
July 31, 1966F3McPherson, South Dakota25.1 mi280 yd24$250K
August 24, 2006F3McPherson, South Dakota14 mi300 yd01N/A
June 28, 1961F2McPherson, South Dakota49.7 mi33 yd00$250K
September 7, 1961F2McPherson, South Dakota0 mi33 yd00$25K
July 6, 1962F2McPherson, South Dakota3 mi550 yd00$25K
May 22, 2010EF2McPherson, South Dakota10.3 mi200 yd00N/A
July 4, 2020EF2McPherson, South Dakota2.66 mi150 yd00N/A
June 19, 1979F1McPherson, South Dakota0 mi33 yd00$2.5M
August 10, 1963F1McPherson, South Dakota2.3 mi160 yd00$25K
July 1, 1966F1McPherson, South Dakota0.1 mi27 yd00$30
September 8, 1991F1McPherson, South Dakota0.5 mi33 yd00$30
June 23, 2002F1McPherson, South Dakota2 mi500 yd00N/A

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.