Damaging Wind in South Dakota, July 28, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in South Dakota, July 28, 2002
Start: 2002-07-28T13:10
End: 2002-07-28T13:10
Location: South Dakota

July 28, 2002 · NWS FSD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 28, 12:27 PM CST, 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 28, 12:27 PM CST, 43 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
127 PM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

...MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES DEAL WITH FIRST PERIOD SEVERE WEATHER...

SYNOPSIS...MORNING SUBJECTIVE UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATED NEXT
WEATHER MAKER WAS MOVING THROUGH THE CNTRL ROCKIES. AT H3 60-70 KNT
JET WAS DIVING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE POSITIVLY TILTED TROUGH.
MAIN SHORT WAVE/THERMAL TROUGH AT H5 WAS LOCATED OVR ERN WY AT 12Z.
AT H85 WEAK HIGH WAS INDICATED OVER N CNTRL SD WITH TROUGH EXTENDING
FROM NORTHERN MN SW INTO WESTERN NEB. LOW LEVEL DRY SLOT WAS NOTED
PUSHING THROUGH CNTRL NEB WITH LESS THAN 5 DEGREE H85 DP AT KLBF.

FORECAST...WEAK SFC LOW OVER EXTREME SE SD WILL SLOWLY MOVE TO THE
EAST TONIGHT. THIS WILL DRAG A TROUGH/DRYLINE THROUGH THE CNTRL AND
ERN CWA THROUGH THE EVENING. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT
ATMOSPHERE ALONG AND EAST OF THIS LOW WILL BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE
WITH MLCAPE OF 3000 J/KG. AS UPPER THROUGH MOVES INTO THE CNTRL
PLAINS...MID/UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS EVENING
LEADING TO 40-50 KNT 0 TO 6 KM SHEAR. THUS ATMOSPHERE WILL SUPPORT
SUSTAINED ORGANIZED SVR CONVECTION THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. WITH
GOOD LINEAR FORCING AND A WEAK CAPPING INVERSION...WOULD EXPECT A
GOOD LINE OF STORMS TO GET GOING BY 3-4 PM. WITH -12 DEGREES AT H5
AND THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY...WOULD EXPECT HAIL TO BE THE MAIN
THREAT. MID LEVEL WINDS OF 40-50KNTS WILL ALSO BE EASILY MIXED TO
THE SFC TO HAVE A DECENT DMG WND POTENTIAL. TORNADO POTENTIAL SEEMS
VERY LOW AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE VEERED LOW LEVEL FLOW OVER MOST OF
THE CWA. ONLY CHC WOULD BE IN SW MN AND EXTREME NORTHERN IA WHERE
SFC WINDS WILL CONTINUED TO BE BACKED AHEAD OF SFC LOW. SPC MODERATE
RISK LOOKS GOOD.

STORMS CLEAR OUT OF CWA BY MIDNIGHT WITH CLEARING COMING INTO THE
WESTERN ZONES. NEXT CHC FOR TRW WILL COME TO THE NORTH ON TUESDAY
NIGHT. ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN US WILL MAKE SHORT WAVE HARD
TO TIME...BUT MODELS AGREE ON WEAK SFC LO AND BOUNDARY MOVING INTO
THE NORTHERN CWA LATE TUESDAY. WILL CONTINUE TRW CHC FOR THE NORTH
TUESDAY NIGHT WITH FRONT IN THE AREA AND LLJ DEVELOPING. STRONGER
SHORT WAVE COMES THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY WHICH LOOKS TO BRING THE FRONT
THROUGH THE WHOLE CWA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. GUIDANCE TEMPS LOOK IN THE
BALL PARK AND WILL NOT MAKE MANY CHANGES.

GRIDS/OZF WILL BE OUT EARLY WITH IMPENDING SEVERE WEATHER.

.FSD...NONE

BOUSTEAD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 28, 10:00 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1100 AM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

*** THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
PERTAINS ONLY TO CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. ***

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING OVER
SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST IOWA.  THE
ATMOSPHERE WILL BE MOST UNSTABLE OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST SOUTH
DAKOTA...NORTHWEST IOWA..AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA LATE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.  THIS AREA WILL HAVE THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE
WEATHER...WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREAT.  HOWEVER...DAMAGING WINDS
AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
NORTHWEST IOWA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA LATE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.  THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD END ACROSS THE AREA AROUND
MIDNIGHT.

SDZ038>040-050-052>061-063>065-068-290500-
BEADLE-KINGSBURY-BROOKINGS-JERAULD-SANBORN-MINER-LAKE-MOODY-BRULE-
AURORA-DAVISON-HANSON-MCCOOK-GREGORY-CHARLES MIX-DOUGLAS-HUTCHINSON-
BON HOMME-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HURON...BROOKINGS...CHAMBERLAIN...MITCHELL...
1100 AM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

* FORECAST THROUGH MIDNIGHT:
  WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID
  AFTERNOON...AND THEN END BY EARLY EVENING.  THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE
  LARGE HAIL.

* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER:
  LARGE HAIL...DIME SIZE OR LARGER.

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION:
  SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE AFTER 4 PM.

SDZ062-066-067-069>071-MNZ071-072-080-089-097-098-IAZ001-012-020-
031-NEZ013-014-290500-
LINCOLN-LYON-PIPESTONE-MURRAY-MINNEHAHA-ROCK-NOBLES-TURNER-LINCOLN-
LYON-YANKTON-CLAY-UNION-SIOUX-PLYMOUTH-DIXON-DAKOTA-WOODBURY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PIPESTONE...SLAYTON...SIOUX FALLS...LUVERNE...
WORTHINGTON...ROCK RAPIDS...YANKTON...VERMILLION...ELK POINT...
SIOUX CENTER...LE MARS...SIOUX CITY...
1100 AM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

* FORECAST THROUGH MIDNIGHT:
  NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID AFTERNOON...AND
  CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.  THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE
  OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER:
  SEVERE WINDS...GUSTS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 58 MPH.
  LARGE HAIL...DIME SIZE OR LARGER.

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION:
  SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY AFTER 4 PM.

MNZ081-090-IAZ002-003-013-014-021-022-032-290500-
COTTONWOOD-JACKSON-OSCEOLA-DICKINSON-OBRIEN-CLAY-CHEROKEE-BUENA VISTA-IDA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SPIRIT LAKE...SPENCER...STORM LAKE...
1100 AM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

* FORECAST THROUGH MIDNIGHT:
  NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID AFTERNOON...AND
  CONTINUE INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS.  THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE
  OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER:
  SEVERE WINDS...GUSTS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 58 MPH.
  LARGE HAIL...DIME SIZE OR LARGER.
  HEAVY RAIN.

* SPOTTER ACTIVATION:
  SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY AFTER 4 PM.

Local storm report, Jul 28, 11:45 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1245 PM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1235 PM    9 SSE HURON               SD   .75 INCH HAIL
07/28/02   BEADLE                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Brookings

When: July 28, 1:10 PM CST
Where: Brookings County, Sinai
Measured: 78 kt (90 mph)
Property damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.250, -97.033

Thunderstorm winds caused widespread structural, tree, and power line damage in and near Sinai. The roof was ripped off a mobile home, a well drilling business was destroyed, the siding from another business was ripped off, part of a grain elevator was smashed, several garages were destroyed or heavily damaged, several trees were blown down and widespread tree debris littered the area, and power lines and poles were blown down. Power outages lasted until the next day. At a farm just east of Sinai, five grain bins, a machine shed, and several small shacks were destroyed, and the farmhouse was damaged, with about 300 thousand dollars in damage estimated at this farm alone. Other small farm structures in the area were reported to be destroyed or damaged. Crops in the area were heavily damaged by the wind and accompanying hail, with one witness watching as a bean field "just disappeared." The crop damage was widespread, but the amount of crop damage could not be determined.

What these are

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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, July 2002

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5309776.