The ingredients necessary for severe weather including tornadoes came together ahead of a low pressure system in the afternoon and evening hours across northeastern South Dakota. The first tornadoes occurred in Hamlin and Codington counties, while several others followed in Day County a few hours later.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ABR wrote it up.
The ingredients necessary for severe weather including tornadoes came together ahead of a low pressure system in the afternoon and evening hours across northeastern South Dakota. The first tornadoes occurred in Hamlin and Codington counties, while several others followed in Day County a few hours later. While no injuries were reported with this activity, a couple farmsteads did sustain damage. Hail and strong straight-line winds also occurred on occasion with these storms, as did heavy rainfall.
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 Sep 9, 2:07 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 213 PM CDT Mon Sep 9 2019 MNZ039-046-SDZ006>008-011-018>023-101915- Traverse-Big Stone-Brown-Marshall-Roberts-Day-Spink-Clark-Codington- Grant-Hamlin-Deuel- 213 PM CDT Mon Sep 9 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into this evening. A few storms could be strong to severe. Periods of heavy rain are also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms Tuesday night into Wednesday morning could be strong to severe with damaging winds the main threat. Locally heavy rainfall can be expected as well, mainly south of Highway 212. Additional storms will be possible Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be requested. Weather spotters are encouraged to submit reports to the National Weather Service in Aberdeen. The public can submit reports on our web page, Facebook page, or our Twitter feed. SDZ033>037-045-048-051-101915- Stanley-Sully-Hughes-Hyde-Hand-Jones-Lyman-Buffalo- 213 PM CDT Mon Sep 9 2019 /113 PM MDT Mon Sep 9 2019/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Strong to severe storms will be possible Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Damaging winds and rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches will be the main threats. There is the potential for localized flooding. Additional severe storms will be possible Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-101915- Corson-Campbell-McPherson-Walworth-Edmunds-Dewey-Potter-Faulk- 213 PM CDT Mon Sep 9 2019 /113 PM MDT Mon Sep 9 2019/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central South Dakota. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Strong storms will be possible Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall will be the main threats. Additional storms are possible Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. SD
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</html>The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:38 UTC.
5 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The tornado tracked across farm fields and was photographed near the Watertown airport.
The tornado started south of Thomas and tracked northeast across farm fields. Trees and outdoor lawn items were damaged after the tornado crossed Highway 22 and before crossing Clear Lake. The tornado moved off the lake, crossed a cornfield and proceeded to damage several metal beams on a quonset barn. Finally, several outbuildings and a silo were damaged on a farm before additional trees were uprooted in a shelter belt.
A witness observed a tornado touch down over a lake and then track onto a pasture before lifting. No damage occurred.
The tornado touched down in a field west of 424th Ave, crossed the road and tracked along the northern edge of a farmstead 4 miles north of Bristol. Multiple broken tree branches were noted, with some tossed 50 to 80 yards from the original source. One fiberglass shed was destroyed and tossed about 70 yards. Another outbuilding was lifted off the foundation and set down about 30 yards away. The tornado continued east of the farmstead, crossing two small lakes. The track was clearly shown by cattails flattened in a convergent pattern. The tornado then struck another tree with limbs broken and tossed. The final evidence of the tornado was a downed deer stand.
Witnesses observed a tornado. Additional evidence of the touchdown was an area of convergent pattern-flattened cattails.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Dakota in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 2019Warnings in South Dakota, September 2019
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 857256, 857252, 857253, 857254, 857255.