South Dakota, 1999

Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, June 2 to 30, 1999

June 2 to 30, 1999 · NWS UNR · 103 events in 15 counties and zones

64 hail, 15 thunderstorm wind, 15 tornado, 6 flash flood, 3 funnel cloud, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
1
Injuries
54
Property damage
$3.6 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
103

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.

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

64 hail, 15 thunderstorm wind, 15 tornado, 6 flash flood, 3 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pennington

When
June 2, 7:50 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 2 mi SW of Keystone
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.880, -103.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When
June 2, 8:53 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Ellsworth Afb
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
44.150, -103.100

Hail, Todd

When
June 4, 12:10 AM MST
Where
Todd County, 8 mi S of Olsonville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.020, -100.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Fall River

When
June 4, 4:56 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 13 mi S of Oelrichs
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.020, -103.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Fall River

When
June 4, 5:05 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, Edgemont
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.300, -103.830

Strong winds from thunderstorms blew over several trees and fences in the community.

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:30 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 10 mi W of Oglala
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.180, -102.950

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:30 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 1 mi E of Slim Butte
Measured
2.5 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.080, -102.820

Tornado, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:30 PM MST to 5:45 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, Slim Butte to 3 mi NE of Oglala
Rating
F2
Path length
15 mi
Path width
875 yd
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
54 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$3.2 million
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.050, -102.850

This was the first of two tornadoes that swept through the town of Oglala. Spotters and law enforcement reported that the tornado went up and down several times. It remained on the ground just prior to hitting Oglala and then dissipated as it moved to the northeast. There was one fatality with 54 people receiving medical care for injuries. A church and three of its surrounding buildings were destroyed, 22 mobile homes destroyed, 30 to 50 buildings damaged and a lot of hail damage to roofs and vehicles.

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:35 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 2 mi W of Oglala
Measured
4 in hail
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.180, -102.780

Tornado, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:40 PM MST to 5:55 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, Oglala to 2 mi NE of Oglala
Rating
F2
Path length
4 mi
Path width
400 yd
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.170, -102.780

This is the second tornado that formed just southwest of Oglala and then moved through the town. It was smaller then the first tornado and produced its damage about a half mile east of the first tornado.

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 5:45 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, Oglala
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.180, -102.750

Tornado, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 6:10 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 3 mi N of Pine Ridge
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.080, -102.570

A mobile home was destroyed by the tornado. Otherwise it remained in rural areas and was short lived. Path width and length estimated from law enforcement reports.

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 6:20 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 7 mi NE of Oglala
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.250, -102.650

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 6:30 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 5 mi SW of Kyle
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.370, -102.250

Tornado, Oglala Lakota

When
June 4, 6:30 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, Kyle to 5 mi SE of Kyle
Rating
F0
Path length
9 mi
Path width
75 yd
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.370, -102.250

Three mobile homes destroyed. This tornado moved into Jackson County before dissipating. Path width and length estimated from law enforcement report.

Tornado, Bennett

When
June 4, 6:45 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, 5 mi S of Martin
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.100, -101.750

Weak tornado that touched down briefly. Path width and length estimated from reports.

Tornado, Jackson

When
June 4, 7:00 PM MST to 7:15 PM MST
Where
Jackson County, Potato Creek to 10 mi S of Potato Creek
Rating
F0
Path length
5 mi
Path width
75 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.430, -102.130

This tornado originated in Shannon County 5 miles southwest of Kyle. Path width and length estimated from law enforcement report.

Hail, Jackson

When
June 4, 7:35 PM MST
Where
Jackson County, Kadoka
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.830, -101.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Tripp

When
June 4, 8:08 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, Winner
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.370, -99.870

Wind damage from a thunderstorm. A convenience store roof was damaged, power lines were down and several large trees were blown over.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ziebach

When
June 4, 8:14 PM MST
Where
Ziebach County, 13 mi W of Cherry Creek
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.600, -101.770

Hail, Bennett

When
June 5, 3:35 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, Martin
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.170, -101.750

Tornado, Bennett

When
June 5, 4:25 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, 6 mi S of Martin
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.080, -101.750

Brief touchdown. Path width and length estimated.

Tornado, Bennett

When
June 5, 5:10 PM MST to 5:20 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, Swett to 2 mi SW of Allen
Rating
F0
Path length
5 mi
Path width
550 yd
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.170, -101.980

Width and path length reported by a local resident.

Tornado, Bennett

When
June 5, 5:25 PM MST to 5:35 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, Allen to 2 mi NW of Allen
Rating
F0
Path length
3 mi
Path width
100 yd
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.270, -101.970

Width and path length reported by a local resident.

Tornado, Oglala Lakota

When
June 5, 5:30 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 8 mi SW of Kyle
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.330, -102.300

Brief touchdown. Path width and length estimated.

Hail, Pennington

When
June 5, 5:38 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, Keystone
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.900, -103.420

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 5, 6:10 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 10 mi W of Kyle
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.420, -102.380

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
June 5, 6:10 PM MST to 6:15 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 12 mi SW of Kyle
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.300, -102.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Pennington

When
June 5, 6:19 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, Rapid City
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.080, -103.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Meade

When
June 5, 6:27 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 3 mi SE of Piedmont
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
44.200, -103.330

Hail, Jackson

When
June 5, 6:55 PM MST
Where
Jackson County, Interior
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates
43.720, -101.980

Hail, Haakon

When
June 5, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Haakon County, Philip
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.030, -101.670

Tornado, Tripp

When
June 5, 7:35 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, 1 mi N of Clearfield
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.180, -100.030

Brief touchdown. Path width and length estimated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ziebach

When
June 5, 8:30 PM MST
Where
Ziebach County, 10 mi SW of Red Scaffold
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
44.670, -101.980

Estimated 70 mph wind gust. A mobile home roof was damaged by the strong wind gust.

Flash Flood, Haakon

When
June 5, 9:00 PM MST to June 6, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Haakon County, South Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.294, -101.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

3.99 Inches of rain at the Philip airport in less then 2 hours. Several buildings at the airport had flooding problems. Sheriff reported numerous roads were closed because they were under water.

Flash Flood, Jackson

When
June 5, 10:00 PM MST to June 6, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Jackson County, North Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.694, -101.628 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads were under water for several hours after heavy rainfall fell in the region. No major damage was reported other than washouts along the gravel roads.

Hail, Tripp

When
June 7, 4:55 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, Ideal
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.530, -99.900

Hail, Tripp

When
June 7, 5:07 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, Ideal
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.530, -99.900

Hail, Tripp

When
June 7, 5:44 PM MST to 5:50 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, Ideal
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.530, -99.900

Hail, Custer

When
June 7, 6:12 PM MST
Where
Custer County, Pringle
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.600, -103.600

Hail, Tripp

When
June 7, 6:40 PM MST
Where
Tripp County, Colome
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.250, -99.720

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 7, 8:12 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Lead
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.350, -103.750

15,000 flowering plants were destroyed in downtown Lead. A restaurant had one corner of its roof damaged.

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 7, 8:15 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Deadwood
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
44.380, -103.700

Hail, Meade

When
June 7, 8:34 PM MST to 8:41 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Sturgis
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.420, -103.500

Hail, Meade

When
June 7, 9:45 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Red Owl to Faith
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
44.700, -102.550

Hail, Ziebach

When
June 7, 10:10 PM MST
Where
Ziebach County, 13 mi E of Glad Vly
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
45.400, -101.480

Hail, Harding

When
June 8, 4:09 PM MST
Where
Harding County, Redig
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
45.270, -103.550

Hail, Harding

When
June 8, 4:20 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 7 mi E of Redig
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
45.270, -103.400

Hail, Harding

When
June 8, 4:45 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 28 mi E of Redig
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
45.270, -102.970

Hail, Harding

When
June 8, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 12 mi S of Reva
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
45.380, -103.080

Hail, Meade

When
June 8, 11:27 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Union Center
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
44.570, -102.670

Hail, Butte

When
June 9, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Butte County, 22 mi NW of Belle Fourche
Measured
2 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.900, -104.180

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 9, 12:03 AM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Lead
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.350, -103.750

Hail, Pennington

When
June 12, 3:40 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 2 mi SW of Keystone
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.880, -103.450

Hail, Custer

When
June 12, 4:06 PM MST
Where
Custer County, 10 mi E of Custer
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates
43.770, -103.400

Hail, Custer

When
June 12, 4:20 PM MST
Where
Custer County, 1 mi W of Hermosa
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.830, -103.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Oglala Lakota

When
June 12, 6:25 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 5 mi N of Kyle
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.480, -102.180

Hail, Fall River

When
June 12, 6:38 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 11 mi W of Hot Spgs
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.430, -103.700

Hail, Bennett

When
June 12, 7:43 PM MST
Where
Bennett County, Martin
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
43.170, -101.750

Funnel Cloud, Pennington

When
June 15, 1:40 PM MST to 1:50 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 1 mi W of Rapid City Arpt
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Custer

When
June 18, 2:45 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Custer County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rainfall flooded rural roads along with Highways 385 and 79, which had 3-4 feet of water over them.

Hail, Harding

When
June 18, 2:50 PM MST
Where
Harding County, Camp Crook
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.550, -103.980

Hail, Pennington

When
June 18, 3:30 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 15 mi SW of Rapid City
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.930, -103.430

Flash Flood, Pennington

When
June 18, 4:48 PM MST to 7:56 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, South Central Portion
Property damage
$330,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.004, -102.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very heavy rainfall inundated Battle Creek. The most damage was between Hill City and Keystone. The 1880 Historic Train had several hundred feet of railroad track that was washed out at a cost of $300,000. Local authorities blocked off several roads in the area and a few of them washed out. The cost of repairs on these roads were around $30,000. The flood stage at Camp Judson on Battle Creek is 6.5 feet and the river reached 8.48 feet around 1648 MST and dropped back below flood stage at 1830 MST.

Flash Flood, Custer

When
June 19, 12:30 AM MST to 4:00 AM MST
Where
Custer County, East Portion
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flooding which originated upstream in Pennington County between Keystone and Hill City shifted downstream along Battle Creek. The flood stage at Hermosa is 8 feet and the river crested at 10.41 feet at 0230 MST.

Thunderstorm Wind, Butte

When
June 19, 9:40 PM MST
Where
Butte County, Belle Fourche
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.670, -103.870

Hail, Meade

When
June 20, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Tilford to 13 mi NNE of Tilford
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.430, -103.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Harding

When
June 20, 9:14 PM MST
Where
Harding County, Buffalo to 21 mi N of Buffalo
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates
45.870, -103.720

Power company reported 4 power poles blown over.

Hail, Harding

When
June 20, 9:38 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 2 mi NW of Ladner
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.850, -103.770

Hail, Harding

When
June 20, 9:45 PM MST to 10:05 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 1 mi SE of Ladner
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.820, -103.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Harding

When
June 20, 9:45 PM MST to 10:05 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 1 mi SE of Ladner
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.820, -103.720

Tornado, Harding

When
June 20, 9:49 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Harding County, Ladner to 2 mi SE of Ladner
Rating
F1
Path length
2 mi
Path width
400 yd
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.830, -103.700

Tornado moved across a ranch. 15 sheep were killed when they were picked up and thrown through a barbed wire fence into a pond. Cattle stockades were destroyed and a grain bin anchored in concrete was picked up and thrown several yards. Storm path and width were provided by a local pilot who flew over the area the following morning.

Hail, Harding

When
June 20, 9:49 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 2 mi E of Ladner
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.830, -103.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Harding

When
June 20, 9:49 PM MST
Where
Harding County, 2 mi E of Ladner
Measured
91 kt (105 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
45.830, -103.700

Measured wind speed.

Hail, Meade

When
June 21, 1:40 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Sturgis to 2 mi N of Sturgis
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.450, -103.500

Hail, Meade

When
June 22, 12:20 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 2 mi N of Piedmont
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.270, -103.380

Hail, Pennington

When
June 22, 12:35 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 2 mi NW of Rochford
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.130, -103.750

Hail, Pennington

When
June 22, 12:58 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 2 mi ENE of Silver City
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.100, -103.530

Hail, Meade

When
June 22, 1:45 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Ellsworth Afb
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.150, -103.100

Hail, Pennington

When
June 22, 2:10 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, Deerfield
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.020, -103.830

Hail, Pennington

When
June 22, 2:40 PM MST
Where
Pennington County, 15 mi WSW of Rapid City
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.000, -103.500

Hail, Perkins

When
June 25, 6:28 PM MST
Where
Perkins County, Lemmon
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.950, -102.170

Hail, Fall River

When
June 27, 3:30 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, Ardmore
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.020, -103.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When
June 27, 5:09 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, 9 mi SW of Spearfish
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.400, -103.980

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 27, 5:17 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, 8 mi WNW of Spearfish
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.550, -104.000

Hail, Butte

When
June 27, 5:18 PM MST to 5:30 PM MST
Where
Butte County, 5 mi S of Belle Fourche
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.600, -103.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When
June 27, 5:24 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Spearfish Arpt
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
44.480, -103.780

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 27, 5:24 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Lead
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.350, -103.750

Tornado, Lawrence

When
June 27, 5:30 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Spearfish to 6 mi E of Spearfish
Rating
F1
Path length
2 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.500, -103.730

The tornado knocked several trees into a home, destroyed a chicken coop and damaged a rental car which had a tree fall on it. Numerous trees around the property were also blown down.

Hail, Meade

When
June 27, 5:32 PM MST
Where
Meade County, Sturgis
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.420, -103.500

Hail, Meade

When
June 27, 5:50 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 4 mi SE of Sturgis
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.380, -103.450

Hail, Meade

When
June 27, 6:10 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 13 mi E of Sturgis
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.420, -103.230

Hail, Meade

When
June 27, 6:30 PM MST to 6:40 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 1 mi N of Hereford
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.400, -102.880

Hail, Meade

When
June 27, 6:55 PM MST
Where
Meade County, 3 mi SE of Elm Spgs
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
44.280, -102.470

Hail, Custer

When
June 27, 7:30 PM MST
Where
Custer County, 3 mi W of Buffalo Gap
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.500, -103.380

Hail, Custer

When
June 27, 7:30 PM MST
Where
Custer County, Wind Cave
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.550, -103.480

Flash Flood, Custer

When
June 29, 12:50 PM MST to 1:50 PM MST
Where
Custer County, Fairburn
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.678, -103.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water along French and Grace Coolidge Creeks rose rapidly after 3 to 4 inches of rain in less then an hour. Some vehicles in the Hermosa area had water up to the doors because local drainage systems could not keep up with the water.

Tornado, Todd

When
June 29, 2:12 PM MST to 2:15 PM MST
Where
Todd County, 7 mi S of St Francis
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.030, -100.920

Rain wrapped tornado that was short lived.

Funnel Cloud, Todd

When
June 29, 2:18 PM MST to 2:22 PM MST
Where
Todd County, 10 mi W of St Francis
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two funnel clouds spotted at the same time by two separate observers.

Hail, Todd

When
June 29, 2:22 PM MST
Where
Todd County, 8 mi W of St Francis
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.130, -101.080

Tornado, Todd

When
June 29, 2:22 PM MST
Where
Todd County, St Francis to 8 mi W of St Francis
Rating
F0
Path length
2.5 mi
Path width
30 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.130, -101.080

Spotters reported a rope type tornado that stayed in open country.

Funnel Cloud, Todd

When
June 29, 2:27 PM MST
Where
Todd County, 7 mi W of Mission
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
43.193, -100.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Funnel cloud lasted about five minutes.

Hail, Lawrence

When
June 30, 1:25 PM MST
Where
Lawrence County, Spearfish
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
44.500, -103.850

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Tornado, Oglala Lakota1999-06-0454MaleMobile/Trailer HomeDirect

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.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 1999Warnings in South Dakota, June 1999

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: 5709131, 5709132, 5709133, 5709134, 5709332, 5709341, 5709342, 5709343, 5709344, 5709345, 5709448, 5709449, 5709556, 5709557, 5709558, 5709331, 5709559, 5709135, 5709136, 5709137, 5709248, 5709336, 5709334, 5709335, 5709337, 5709139, 5709138, 5709333, 5709140, 5709141, 5709143, 5709142, 5709146, 5709147, 5709144, 5709145, 5709148, 5709149, 5709150, 5709151, and more.