South Dakota, 2007

Flood and Hail in South Dakota, July 18, 2007

July 18, 2007 · NWS UNR · 11 events in 3 counties and zones

Severe storms moved across the southern Black Hills and adjacent plains, producing very large hail from Wind Cave National Park to the Hot Springs area.

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
$110,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 storms moved across the southern Black Hills and adjacent plains, producing very large hail from Wind Cave National Park to the Hot Springs area.

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 Rapid City, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 12:12 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 12:12 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
112 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

.DISCUSSION...19Z ANALYSIS HAS A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS
NEBRASKA WITH WEAK INVERTED TROUGH ACROSS NORTHEASTERN WYOMING INTO
CENTRAL MONTANA. HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTH DAKOTA IS NOSING DOWN INTO
THE AREA...PUSHING A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH AND WEST OF THE
BLACK HILLS AT THE MOMENT. WINDS HAVE BECOME MORE NORTHEASTERLY AS
THE HIGH SETTLES OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE BLACK HILLS AREA WITHIN THE LAST HOUR.

WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALS MONSOONAL MOISTURE BEING PULLED INTO THE
AREA AHEAD OF WEAK SHORTWAVE ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING. WITH 3 KEY
INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE...SHOULD SEE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BLACK HILLS AREA...WITH PROGRESSION
EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. PLENTY OF SHEAR AND CAPE AVAILABLE
TO SEE SOME SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE AREA. WITH MONSOONAL MOISTURE
AVAILABLE...COULD SEE SOME VERY HEAVY RAINS ALSO. ACTIVITY SHOULD
PROGRESS TO THE EAST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA
BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS
MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHERN
NEBRASKA.

UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS FOR
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH TEMPERATURES
WARMING BACK TO THE MID 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES BY THE WEEKEND.

EXTENDED...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL PERSIST OVER THE NORTHERN
PLAINS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 90S TO ABOVE
100 WILL CONTINUE AFFECTING THE REGION THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. THERE
IS A POSSIBILITY THAT ISOLATED STORMS COULD DEVELOP ON ANY GIVEN
DAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE BLACK HILLS...HOWEVER THE CHANCE IS
SMALL...SO HAVE LEFT THE FORECAST DRY.

&&

.AVIATION...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON
AND ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGHOUT
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM WEST TO EAST.

&&

.UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...NONE.
WY...NONE.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 7:35 AM MST, 6 hours 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
835 AM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

SDZ001-002-012>014-024>032-041>044-046-047-049-072>074-WYZ054>058-
071-191300-
BENNETT-BUTTE-CENTRAL BLACK HILLS-CUSTER CO PLAINS-FALL RIVER-HAAKON-
HARDING-HERMOSA FOOT HILLS-JACKSON-MELLETTE-NORTHEASTERN CROOK-
NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-NORTHERN CAMPBELL-NORTHERN FOOT HILLS-
NORTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-PENNINGTON CO PLAINS-PERKINS-RAPID CITY-
SHANNON-SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS-SOUTHERN CAMPBELL-SOUTHERN FOOT HILLS-
SOUTHERN MEADE CO PLAINS-STURGIS/PIEDMONT FOOT HILLS-TODD-TRIPP-
WESTERN CROOK-WESTON-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-ZIEBACH-
835 AM MDT (935 AM CDT) WED JUL 18 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEASTERN WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEASTERN
WYOMING AND WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
IS ALSO LIKELY AS STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING.

AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. VERY
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL ALLOW FOR WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE FIRST STORMS FORMING OVER THE
BLACK HILLS AROUND MIDDAY. THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE
INTO SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA LATER THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

HOT WEATHER WILL RETURN AS UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ANCHORED
OVER THE ROCKIES. MOST LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE BLACK HILLS WILL
SURPASS THE 100 DEGREE MARK SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. IT WILL BE
MAINLY DRY...WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY.

MJB

In the hours before

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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:49 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail, 1 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Custer

When
July 18, 1:50 PM MST
Where
Custer County, Wind Cave
Measured
2.75 in hail
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
43.550, -103.480

Large hail broke windshields of many automobiles in the visitors' center parking lot.

Hail, Custer

When
July 18, 2:00 PM MST to 2:15 PM MST
Where
Custer County, 5 mi NW of Buffalo Gap
Measured
2.5 in hail
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.551, -103.391

House windows were broken by large hail.

Flood, Fall River

When
July 18, 2:00 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, Hot Springs
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.430, -103.480

Heavy rain in a short period of time caused minor flooding on the Fall River through Hot Springs. Water flowed over low water crossings on South Sixth Street and Joplin Avenue.

Hail, Fall River

When
July 18, 2:15 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 3 mi NW of Hot Springs
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.461, -103.522

Hail, Fall River

When
July 18, 2:20 PM MST to 2:35 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 5 mi SE of Hot Springs
Measured
2.5 in hail
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.379, -103.410

Automobile windshields were broken by large hail.

Hail, Fall River

When
July 18, 3:00 PM MST to 3:15 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 5 mi E of Oelrichs
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.200, -103.051

Thunderstorm Wind, Fall River

When
July 18, 3:00 PM MST to 3:15 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 5 mi E of Oelrichs
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.200, -103.051

Horse trailers blown off blocks and shingles blown off of house.

Hail, Fall River

When
July 18, 3:10 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 15 mi W of Ardmore
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.020, -103.967

Hail, Oglala Lakota

When
July 18, 3:21 PM MST
Where
Oglala Lakota County, 13 mi W of Oglala
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.180, -103.008

Two front doors blown in from winds.

Hail, Custer

When
July 18, 3:45 PM MST to 3:50 PM MST
Where
Custer County, 7 mi ENE of Dewey
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.569, -103.901

Hail, Fall River

When
July 18, 4:20 PM MST
Where
Fall River County, 6 mi N of Edgemont
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.387, -103.830

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, July 2007

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 35417, 35418, 44579, 35419, 35421, 35422, 35423, 35426, 35425, 35427, 35428.