Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in South Dakota, May 30, 2022

Heavy rainfall resulted in water over a road north of the hospital in Watertown.

Eyewitness reported a brief tornado touchdown which did only minor damage to a cattle shed.

The first indications of tornado damage were just east of Interstate 29 near 186th Street. A farm had mangled tree branches through the tops of the shelter belt, a destroyed outbuilding, a west facing garage door and garage rafters bowed in and three pickups with the back windows broken out. The track continued a quarter mile to the north, where a second farm had uprooted trees, complete destruction of a machine shed and a collapsed barn. The main residence also had loss of shingles and the loss of a small portion of roof panels. The track continued northeast. The next residence to sustain damage was near 772nd Ave and 181st St. The tornado entered the farm from the west where it uprooted several trees and broke branches off the tops of others, a third of a roughly 300 foot long milk barn was leveled, one stave silo completely collapsed and a second was razed about half way to the base. Further east on the property a shelter belt was managed and an empty grain bin was tossed east northeast about a quarter mile into the neighboring field. An outbuilding south of the property also collapsed. Just shy of a mile to the northeast along 473rd Ave a machine shed buckled on the southwest side. Another quarter mile to the northeast another farm sustained significant damage. On this farm a tornado path was noted through the trees on the west side of house. Trees were uprooted and one tree twisted counter clockwise. On the main residence eight sheets of plywood were ripped off the roof and insulation was blown out of the attic. Roof material was found in trees and debris spread 200 or 300 yards to the north northeast. Residents were in the basement at the time and noticed that their ears popped. They also noted that water was drained from toilets and plumbing traps after the storm. Power lines were downed near 474th Ave. Another several miles to the northeast, near 179th Street and 475th Ave, another farm sustained significant damage. On the south side of the property several pieces of farm equipment were moved, tipped or tossed and a grain bin was dented. Trees were uprooted south of the house and the house sustained window damage. Walls collapsed on both a barn and machine shed on the property. Another smaller shed was also destroyed. A path of debris was noted about a quarter mile northeast of the property. The last property damaged by the tornado was located at 177th Street and US Highway 15. This property had tree damage and lost a shed.

A grain bin in a field near 496th Ave and 179th Street was ripped from the base and tossed a mile to the northeast. Roughly three and a half miles northeast on 176th St a farmstead lost several outbuildings and had roof and window damage to the home. Another two miles to the northeast three metal truss transmission towers were damaged, one completely twisted and collapsed. The strongest winds were confined to the area of the transmission towers. Roughly three and a half miles northeast, just north of US Highway 212, a shed was destroyed and a path was noted through a shelterbelt. The very last indications of the tornado was north of 169th Street on 476th Ave where the path was noted through a shelter belt.

A clear path was observed through a tree grove. Additionally, farm machinery was tossed around on the property.

Heavy rainfall resulted in water flowing outside a shallow creek bed. This water approached homes.

Two properties near the intersection of 164th St and 475th Ave sustained damage. The first farm had a roof ripped off a barn, damage to a machine shed, a destroyed stave silo, debris pierced through house walls, roof panels off house, broken house windows, snapped and uprooted trees, and a dented grain bin. The second residence had half a barn roof ripped off and tossed a quarter mile to the northeast. The track continued northeast roughly six miles, crossing Grant County Highway 15, between 158th St and 159th St. Near this location a farmstead sustained complete loss of a machine shed and power lines were downed. The track would come to an end roughly two more miles to the northeast near 157th St, where another farm would sustain complete loss to a machine shed and debris spread across the field to the north northeast.

Wind estimated at 70 mph brought down three large spruce trees, and a large limb fell onto a vehicle. Some light farm equipment was knocked over, and a steel garden shed was blown into the street.

The south to north tornado track started south of 156th St along 482nd Ave where a farm exhibited clear tornado damage which included mangled trees, barn roof damage, barn doors split in half, residential roof and siding damage and a camper completely destroyed. The track would continue roughly three miles north in the vicinity of 153rd St. Another farm would sustain damage, with tops of trees missing in one shelterbelt and uprooted and snapped trees in a second shelterbelt. The dormer of the residence was ripped off and landed 85 to 100 yards from the house in a northeast direction. North of this property a dairy farm had a machine shed with collapsed walls. This farm was housing dairy cattle that were transported from the Estelline area after a May 12 tornado destroyed barns on that property. The last indication of the tornado track was through a shelter belt a quarter mile north of 153rd St.

Severe winds downed multiple trees and blew over a shed.