9 tornado, 7 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
9 tornado, 7 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tennis ball-size hail pounded a farm, killing two calves, breaking windows, damaging tractors, and leaving two inch holes in a utility shed and in the lawn. Other farms in the area also sustained some hail and wind damage.
A hailstorm pelted the Beresford area with hail up to three inches in diameter. Around 300 cars and at least 200 roofs sustained hail damage.
A tornado tracked north at 20 mph near Interstate 29 destroying at least one farmyard and tossing vehicles. At 315 PM CDT the tornado ripped through a farmyard seven miles north of Beresford destroying a large barn, silo, and numerous outbuildings, and killing 15 hogs. Also lost were 40 tons of hay and 1200 bales of straw. The owner of the farm was driving a tractor when one of at least two tornadoes dipped down, overturning the 11,000 lb. tractor and loader. At 320 PM CDT a tornado blew a 34,000 lb. semi-truck, a utility truck, and two cars off an Interstate 29 exit ramp while their drivers huddled on an embankment waiting for the tornado to pass. After the storm passed the cars rested unharmed in the ditch, but the trucks were both overturned and blown 70 feet from the exit ramp, causing extensive damage to the trucks. The semi was estimated to be a total loss. A young boy was injured when he was struck by a car on Interstate 29 while seeking shelter under an overpass. In addition, funnel clouds were reported as far north as the Lincoln County border near Sioux Falls.
No damage was reported from brief tornado touchdowns.
Hail in various sizes up to 2.25 inches in diameter pelted areas along Interstate 29.
A tornado tracked north at 20 mph near Interstate 29 destroying at least one farmyard and tossing vehicles. At 315 PM CDT the tornado ripped through a farmyard seven miles north of Beresford destroying a large barn, silo, and numerous outbuildings, and killing 15 hogs. Also lost were 40 tons of hay and 1200 bales of straw. The owner of the farm was driving a tractor when one of at least two tornadoes dipped down, overturning the 11,000 lb. tractor and loader. At 320 PM CDT a tornado blew a 34,000 lb. semi-truck, a utility truck, and two cars off an Interstate 29 exit ramp while their drivers huddled on an embankment waiting for the tornado to pass. After the storm passed the cars rested unharmed in the ditch, but the trucks were both overturned and blown 70 feet from the exit ramp, causing extensive damage to the trucks. The semi was estimated to be a total loss. A young boy was injured when he was struck by a car on Interstate 29 while seeking shelter under an overpass. In addition, funnel clouds were reported as far north as the Lincoln County border near Sioux Falls.
A tornado destroyed numerous buildings on five farms as it moved north from the Iowa border to near Interstate 90 northwest of Valley Springs. Power lines were also torn down east of Rowena by the tornado.
Large hail dented many cars on the east side of Sioux Falls.
A tornado touched down on a farm west of Parkston and destroyed two pig barns and a corn crib.
A cattle shed and windmill were destroyed by high winds.
A tornado touched down on several farms destroying two pole barns, a grain bin, and a barn roof.
A tornado carried a 60 X 120 foot metal pole barn into the tops of four grain bins causing extensive damage. The tornado also destroyed many small buildings and blew roofs off larger buildings on many farms in the area.
A tornado caused extensive damage in the Canistota area. Four metal grain storage bins were severely damaged and the roof was blown off the grain elevator. A large roof was blown off a building in Canistota resulting in rain seeping through the floors of the building. The roof blew into another building causing damage, and the flying debris took out power lines and transformers. The storm nearly totaled a farm including the house, and destroyed barns on other farms. Buildings were damaged in Montrose and a farm and metal buildings were lost on a farm east of Montrose.
High winds destroyed several farm buildings in the Baltic and Dell Rapids area. There were also numerous reports of funnel clouds in the area. The storm was blamed for a two vehicle crash on a road west of Interstate 29 killing one driver and injuring the other. Roads were closed afterwards because of flooding caused by the torrential rains. (M51V)
A tornado touched down intermittently on a northeast path through Moody County causing various kinds of damage. South of Colman the tornado hit a farm killing 23 pigs, damaging tractors and equipment, and moving the rafters in a house. At 659 PM CDT the tornado was sighted by spotters one one-half mile southwest of Colman. South of Egan high winds destroyed a garage. At 710 PM CDT a 30,000 lb. semi-truck traveling west on SD highway 34 became temporarily airborne and was thrown into the ditch damaging the truck beyond repair but not hurting the driver. At 725 PM CDT the tornado hit a farm two miles west of Ward shearing off the top of a silo, and damaging the barn and garage.
Very strong winds, likely the result of a downburst in a severe thunderstorm, destroyed an apartment building, five mobile homes, 15 garages, and 16 vehicles, and damaged many other homes and vehicles. 12 people were treated for minor injuries from the storm. The storm also caused considerable damage to some area farms and the roof of a motel.
Thunderstorm winds destroyed a metal machine shed, damaging four tractors and other farm equipment inside. There were other reports of property damage in the White area.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Minnehaha | 1993-05-07 | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Dakota in 1993Every state in 1993This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 1993Warnings in South Dakota, May 1993
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: 10346227, 10349123, 10346287, 10346288, 10349139, 10346289, 10346290, 10346291, 10346454, 10349140, 10346455, 10346659, 10346599, 10346340, 10346660, 10346341, 10346456, 10346545, 10346894, 10346895.