Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 16 to 17, 2010

Name: Tornado and Flash Flood in South Dakota, June 16 to 17, 2010
Start: 2010-06-16T18:30
End: 2010-06-17T03:00
Location: South Dakota

June 16 to 17, 2010 · NWS ABR · 18 events in 3 counties and zones

Several supercell thunderstorms brought very heavy rains of 4 to 7 inches, hail up to golfball size, winds to over 100 mph, along with a tornado to parts of north central South Dakota. Dewey county was the most affected by the storms.

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: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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 ABR wrote it up.

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 6:30 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 0.98 mi W of Bear Creek
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 45.070, -101.470

Tornado, Dewey

When: June 16, 6:35 PM MST to 6:38 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 5.61 mi ENE of Lantry to 5.88 mi ENE of Lantry
Rating: EF2
Path length: 0.4 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 45.060, -101.330

A tornado touched down briefly on a farm six miles northwest of Eagle Butte. Two homes suffered severe structural damage with several pole barns destroyed. Also several pieces of agricultural equipment were damaged or destroyed. A horse was severely injured and had to be put down. Wind speeds were estimated between 120 and 125 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:00 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 0.49 mi E of Lantry
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.020, -101.420

Sixty mph winds were estimated by the public.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:05 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 0.98 mi W of Bear Creek
Measured: 93 kt (107 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 45.070, -101.470

Winds gusting to near 110 mph were measured near Bear Creek.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:15 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 1.46 mi E of Bear Creek
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.070, -101.420

One hundred mph winds overturned and severely damaged a mobile home north of Lantry. The occupants in the mobile home received only minor injuries.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:20 PM MST to 7:30 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, Lantry
Measured: 123 kt (142 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 45.020, -101.430

Three weather stations near Lantry observed winds from 101 to 142 mph. One station recorded a 101 mph wind before it was destroyed. The other two stations recorded 131 mph and 142 mph winds. The winds destroyed an airplane hanger and badly damaged another one. Several semi-trailers were also tipped over and damaged by the very high winds.

Hail, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:30 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 7.65 mi ENE of Bear Creek
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.120, -101.310

Golfball size hail broke the windshield on a vehicle.

Funnel Cloud, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:40 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 7.65 mi ENE of Bear Creek
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.120, -101.310

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:40 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 2.29 mi NNE of Lantry
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.050, -101.410

Eighty mph winds severely damaged several trees near the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:40 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 5.61 mi N of Eagle Butte
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.080, -101.250

One hundred mph winds flattened a pole barn, toppled and severely damaged several grain bins, and shattered the glass out of a tractor.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:45 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 8.35 mi N of Eagle Butte
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.120, -101.250

One hundred mph winds flattened a pole barn and blew two horse trailers into a tractor. The horse trailers and the tractor were damaged.

Flash Flood, Dewey

When: June 16, 7:50 PM MST to June 17, 3:00 AM MST
Where: Dewey County, 2.99 mi SW of Bear Creek to 3.69 mi NE of Eagle Butte
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 45.045, -101.500

Very heavy rains of 4 to 7 inches caused flash flooding in several areas along Highway 212 from west of Lantry to Eagle Butte. Several homes and businesses along with most roads in Eagle Butte were flooded with quite a bit of damage received.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dewey

When: June 16, 8:45 PM MST
Where: Dewey County, 4.23 mi SE of Parade
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.980, -101.050

Sixty-five mph winds were estimated southeast of Parade.

Thunderstorm Wind, Potter

When: June 16, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Potter County, 12.77 mi WNW of Gettysburg
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.120, -100.170

Sixty mph winds were estimated by the public.

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 16, 11:05 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 3.95 mi E of Lowry
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.320, -99.890

Eighty mph winds shifted a wood grainery off of it's foundation about eight inches.

Hail, Walworth

When: June 16, 11:10 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, Selby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.500, -100.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 16, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 9.46 mi ESE of Lowry
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Insurance Company
Coordinates: 45.300, -99.780

Seventy mph winds took out a door and the back wall of an old barn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When: June 16, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Walworth County, 9.46 mi ENE of Lowry
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.360, -99.780

A couple large cottonwood trees were uprooted by eighty mph winds.

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.
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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Dakota in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history The tornado archive for South Dakota, 2010 Warnings in South Dakota, June 2010

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: 246513, 246489, 246514, 246519, 246494, 246558, 246470, 246467, 246524, 246529, 246535, 246462, 246539, 246543, 246500, 246471, 246507, 246509.