Tornadoes and Hail in South Dakota, April 25, 1994

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in South Dakota, April 25, 1994
Start: 1994-04-25T04:38
End: 1994-04-25T19:15
Location: South Dakota

April 25, 1994 · 18 events in 8 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.2 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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

11 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Sdz006

When: April 25, 4:38 AM CDT
Where: Sdz006 County, Marvin
Measured: 0.75 in hail

Hail, Sdz006

When: April 25, 5:15 AM CDT
Where: Sdz006 County, Twin Brooks
Measured: 0.75 in hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz068

When: April 25, 6:10 PM CDT
Where: Sdz068 County, Springfield/Tabor
Property damage: $5,000

A tractor-semitrailer was blown over and numerous branches were down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz069

When: April 25, 6:15 PM CDT
Where: Sdz069 County, Yankton
Property damage: $500,000

Winds recorded at 60 mph and estimated at 90 mph destroyed a temporary greenhouse, blew down several trees and numerous branches, damaged signs and lights, and caused minor damage to numerous buildings. At least two cars were heavily damaged by downed trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz070

When: April 25, 6:15 PM CDT
Where: Sdz070 County, Gayville
Property damage: $50,000

Trees down, car damaged by falling tree, machine shed destroyed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz069

When: April 25, 6:25 PM CDT
Where: Sdz069 County, Beresford
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)

Large branches down, roof damaged, machine shed, and grain bin down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz069

When: April 25, 6:30 PM CDT
Where: Sdz069 County, Utica
Property damage: $5,000

Large branches down, roof damaged, machine shed, and grain bin down.

Hail, Sdz071

When: April 25, 6:36 PM CDT
Where: Sdz071 County, Jefferson
Measured: 0.75 in hail

Tornado, Sdz066

When: April 25, 6:38 PM CDT
Where: Sdz066 County, Worthing
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $5,000

A sliding door was torn off a machine shed, a grain bin was caved in, a cattle shed was tipped over, and the roof was torn off of a hog house.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz071

When: April 25, 6:40 PM CDT
Where: Sdz071 County, Elk Point
Property damage: $50,000

Several farm outbuildings, grain bins, open sheds, and garages were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz067

When: April 25, 6:45 PM CDT
Where: Sdz067 County, Alcester
Property damage: $500

Two windows blown out of house and shingles damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz067

When: April 25, 6:45 PM CDT
Where: Sdz067 County, Canton
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Property damage: $50,000

A gazebo was destroyed at a golf course and a garage was destroyed on a farm just north of town.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz067

When: April 25, 6:45 PM CDT
Where: Sdz067 County, Hudson
Property damage: $5,000

Storage shed, feul tank, and silo heavily damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz071

When: April 25, 6:45 PM CDT
Where: Sdz071 County, To 14 E Beresford
Property damage: $500

Two- to six-inch diameter limbs blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sdz067

When: April 25, 6:50 PM CDT
Where: Sdz067 County, Sioux Falls
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Property damage: $50,000

A barn was destroyed and of the farm sustained minor damage.

Tornado, Sdz062

When: April 25, 7:10 PM CDT
Where: Sdz062 County, Renner
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $500,000

The grandstand, wall, and a dugout at a ball park were severely damaged. The American Legion hall was damaged by ball park debris. Power lines were downed, some doors and roofs of farm buildings were damaged, and an unoccupied mobile home was detsroyed.

Tornado, Sdz062

When: April 25, 7:10 PM CDT
Where: Sdz062 County, Valley Springs
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd

Tornado, Sdz062

When: April 25, 7:15 PM CDT
Where: Sdz062 County, Garretson
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history The tornado archive for South Dakota, 1994 Warnings in South Dakota, April 1994

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: 10346097, 10346098, 10346173, 10346174, 10346177, 10346175, 10346176, 10346178, 10346168, 10346179, 10346169, 10346170, 10346171, 10346180, 10346172, 10346153, 10346154, 10346155.