South Dakota, 2013

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 18 to 19, 2013

May 18 to 19, 2013 · NWS ABR · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

A weak upper level disturbance moving across South Dakota interacted with an unstable surface environment resulting in severe thunderstorms. Winds gusting up to near 80 mph in Clark county caused some damage.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

A weak upper level disturbance moving across South Dakota interacted with an unstable surface environment resulting in severe thunderstorms. Winds gusting up to near 80 mph in Clark county caused some damage. However with a slow storm motion, some thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall. Some rainfall amounts included; 3.24 inches 10 miles southeast of Roscoe; 2.36 inches near Herreid; 2.19 inches in Roscoe; 2.17 inches near Hoven and 1.92 inches in Onida.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 18, 12:56 PM MST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 12:56 PM MST, 2 hours 44 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 2:12 AM MST, 13 hours 28 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 9:40 AM MST, 6 hours before
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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 168 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Dewey

When
May 18, 3:40 PM MST
Where
Dewey County, 8.29 mi N of Eagle Butte
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.120, -101.230

Hail, Dewey

When
May 18, 4:22 PM MST
Where
Dewey County, 2.42 mi W of Firesteel
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.430, -101.330

Hail, Stanley

When
May 18, 4:25 PM MST
Where
Stanley County, 4.42 mi NW of Lacy
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.540, -100.750

Hail, Stanley

When
May 18, 4:41 PM MST
Where
Stanley County, 5.09 mi NW of Lacy
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.560, -100.740

Hail, Stanley

When
May 18, 4:53 PM MST
Where
Stanley County, 6.22 mi S of Mission Ridge
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.590, -100.770

Hail covered the ground.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hand

When
May 18, 11:41 PM CST
Where
Hand County, 5.49 mi E of Danforth
Measured
58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.240, -98.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
May 19, 12:55 AM CST
Where
Clark County, 0.85 mi SW of Clark Co Arpt
Measured
69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
44.890, -97.710

One tree was downed and there was partial damage to a warehouse roof northeast of town.

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 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 2013

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: 452741, 452742, 452743, 452744, 452745, 452746, 453700.