South Dakota, 1997

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, June 19 to 20, 1997

June 19 to 20, 1997 · NWS UNR · 8 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms moved over western South Dakota during the overnight hours of June 19th and 20th. Large hail and strong thunderstorm winds caused considerable damage to crops and broke several windows in the Elm Springs and Creighton areas.

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
0
Property damage
$53,000
Crop damage
None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS UNR wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms moved over western South Dakota during the overnight hours of June 19th and 20th. Large hail and strong thunderstorm winds caused considerable damage to crops and broke several windows in the Elm Springs and Creighton areas. In Creighton, two inch hail piled up to three to four inches deep and wiped out a farmers entire crop.

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:09 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Meade

When
June 19, 11:10 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Elm Spgs
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
44.320, -102.520

Hail, Meade

When
June 19, 11:15 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 2 mi E of Elm Spgs
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
44.320, -102.480

Hail, Meade

When
June 19, 11:15 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 10 mi ENE of Elm Spgs
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
44.370, -102.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When
June 19, 11:15 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 10 mi ENE of Elm Spgs
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
44.370, -102.330

Hail, Pennington

When
June 19, 11:30 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 5 mi N of Creighton
Measured
1.5 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
44.320, -102.200

Hail, Pennington

When
June 19, 11:30 PM MST to 11:40 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 2 mi E of Creighton
Measured
2 in hail
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
44.250, -102.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Haakon

When
June 20, 12:15 AM MST
Where
Haakon County, Philip
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates
44.030, -101.670

Hail, Haakon

When
June 20, 12:30 AM MST
Where
Haakon County, 25 mi E of Philip
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$500
Coordinates
44.030, -101.170

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, June 1997

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: 5603705, 5603706, 5603707, 5603708, 5603709, 5603710, 5603711, 5603712.