South Dakota, 1962

Tornadoes and Hail in South Dakota, May 15, 1962

May 15, 1962 · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Gregory

When
May 15, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Gregory County
Rating
F3
Path width
33 yd
Coordinates
43.200, -99.400

Tornado, Miner

When
May 15, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Miner County
Rating
F2
Path length
4.1 mi
Path width
33 yd
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
44.000, -97.700

Hail, Aurora

When
May 15, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Aurora County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
43.700, -98.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Gregory

When
May 15, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Gregory County
Coordinates
43.080, -99.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Gregory

When
May 15, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Gregory County
Coordinates
43.200, -99.400

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1962Every state in 1962This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 1962

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10112478, 10112479, 10112480, 10112481, 10112482.