Tornado History

South Dakota Tornado History

This page summarizes tornado history for South Dakota. The local dataset contains 1,790 tornado records from 1950 through 2025, with a strongest listed rating of F5 (Incredible damage) and at least $231.3M in reported property damage. The latest tornado record in this group is September 14, 2025. Across these records, NOAA lists 18 deaths and 482 injuries.

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1,790recorded tornadoes
F5 (Incredible damage)highest rating
$231.3Mminimum property damage
September 14, 2025latest tornado
200 milongest listed path
2667 ydwidest listed path

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 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, 2025EF2 September 10, 2019EF2 June 18, 2014F2 June 4, 1999F2 June 24, 2003EF2 September 10, 2019F2 June 18, 1967F2 June 19, 1979F2 April 20, 1985© OpenStreetMap contributors

Rating Breakdown

  • F5 (Incredible damage)1
  • F4 (Devastating damage)6
  • EF4 (Devastating damage)2
  • F3 (Severe damage)59
  • EF3 (Severe damage)4
  • F2 (Considerable damage)188
  • EF2 (Considerable damage)46
  • F1 (Moderate damage)286
  • EF1 (Moderate damage)88
  • F0 (Light damage)675
  • EF0 (Light damage)276
  • Unknown rating125
  • Unknown rating34

Most Active Years

  • 200386
  • 196564
  • 198560
  • 198053
  • 199646
  • 200745
  • 199242
  • 201042

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

Want to check a home, business, or exact property?Search any address to compare nearby historical tornado tracks against that specific location.

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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.