Tornado and Hail in South Dakota, July 12, 1994

Name: Tornado and Hail in South Dakota, July 12, 1994
Start: 1994-07-12T14:30
End: 1994-07-12T18:30
Location: South Dakota

July 12, 1994 · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

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

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $150,000
Crop damage: $55,000
Events: 8

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

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

Hail, Haakon

When: July 12, 2:30 PM MDT to 3:00 PM MDT
Where: Haakon County to Philip
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail broke windows and damaged vehicles, and 3 inches of rain flooded crops.

Tornado, Haakon

When: July 12, 2:30 PM MDT to 2:45 PM MDT
Where: Haakon County, Philip
Rating: F1
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The tornado destroyed a pole barn, damaged some old sheds, farm equipment, and several vehicles; and cut a swath through a wheat field.

Hail, Stanley

When: July 12, 4:24 PM CDT
Where: Stanley County, Hayes
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 44.412, -100.736 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Dewey

When: July 12, 3:30 PM MDT to 3:40 PM MDT
Where: Dewey County, Trail City
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 45.157, -100.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Corson

When: July 12, 3:50 PM MDT
Where: Corson County, Little Eagle
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 45.709, -101.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Todd

When: July 12, 5:00 PM MDT
Where: Todd County, St. Francis
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Winds blew down a casino under construction.

Hail, Hughes

When: July 12, 6:30 PM CDT
Where: Hughes County, Pierre
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Hughes

When: July 12, 6:30 PM CDT
Where: Hughes County, Pierre
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 44.389, -99.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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

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, July 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: 10346527, 10346528, 10346142, 10346416, 10346310, 10346163, 10346649, 10346650.