Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 5, 2015

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 5, 2015
Start: 2015-07-05T17:08
End: 2015-07-05T22:30
Location: South Dakota

July 5, 2015 · NWS UNR · 6 events in 2 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms developed across south central South Dakota, producing hail, heavy rain, and wind gusts to 80 mph.

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: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

A line of severe thunderstorms developed across south central South Dakota, producing hail, heavy rain, and wind gusts to 80 mph.

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 5, 4:31 PM MST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 4:31 PM MST, 37 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 2:10 PM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 5, 11:29 AM MST, 5 hours 39 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 5, 2:33 PM MST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

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The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:08 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bennett

When: July 5, 5:08 PM MST
Where: Bennett County, Vetal
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.220, -101.380

Wind gusts were estimated around 60 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tripp

When: July 5, 7:30 PM CST to 7:40 PM CST
Where: Tripp County, 3.06 mi SSE of Witten
Measured: 71 kt (82 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 43.387, -100.065

Thunderstorm Wind, Tripp

When: July 5, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Tripp County, 2.6 mi WNW of Ideal
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.540, -99.950

The spotter estimated wind gusts at 70 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tripp

When: July 5, 7:57 PM CST
Where: Tripp County, 1.43 mi NW of Ideal
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.543, -99.922

The roof of the old school house was blown off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tripp

When: July 5, 7:59 PM CST
Where: Tripp County, (Icr)winner Airport
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.390, -99.840

Flash Flood, Tripp

When: July 5, 9:35 PM CST to 10:30 PM CST
Where: Tripp County, 9.75 mi NW of Ideal to 3.3 mi WNW of Ideal
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.620, -100.050

A section of US Highway 183 was washed out.

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.
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 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in South Dakota, July 2015

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: 591057, 591060, 591062, 591066, 591068, 597369.