South Dakota, 2023

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 11, 2023

May 11, 2023 · NWS FSD · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

Instability which reached around 1000 J/kg of MLCAPE in an environment of weak deep-layer flow allowed thunderstorm cores to collapse and produce mainly damaging wind.

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
4

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 FSD wrote it up.

Instability which reached around 1000 J/kg of MLCAPE in an environment of weak deep-layer flow allowed thunderstorm cores to collapse and produce mainly damaging wind.

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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 11, 11:07 AM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 11:07 AM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 11, 3:28 AM CST, 10 hours 34 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 11, 9:24 AM CST, 4 hours 38 minutes before
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The radar

The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When
May 11, 2:02 PM CST to 2:03 PM CST
Where
Union County, 1.67 mi WSW of Hillside
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
42.920, -96.800

Thunderstorm winds tipped over a semi-truck near mile marker 36 on Interstate 29.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When
May 11, 2:05 PM CST to 2:07 PM CST
Where
Clay County, 3.33 mi ESE of Hub City
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
42.930, -96.820

Thunderstorm winds snapped several large trees.

Hail, Bon Homme

When
May 11, 3:35 PM CST to 3:37 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 0.51 mi W of Springfield
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
42.850, -97.890

Thunderstorm Wind, Bon Homme

When
May 11, 3:37 PM CST to 3:40 PM CST
Where
Bon Homme County, 1.23 mi NW of Springfield
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.860, -97.900

A flag pole was snapped off by thunderstorm winds, which also broke off several medium-sized branches in the yard.

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Dakota in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Dakota, May 2023

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: 1101713, 1101712, 1101711, 1101714.