A large thunderstorm complex developed in south central South Dakota in the early morning hours of June 29th and tracked northeast across the state, finally exiting into southeast North Dakota and western Minnesota during the mid morning hours. Extreme winds were observed with this system.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A large thunderstorm complex developed in south central South Dakota in the early morning hours of June 29th and tracked northeast across the state, finally exiting into southeast North Dakota and western Minnesota during the mid morning hours. Extreme winds were observed with this system. Two separate weather sensors recorded extraordinary peak wind gusts of 131 mph: the South Dakota State University mesonet station located at the Highmore Municipal Airport and a personal weather station three miles east-southeast of Holabird. These winds knocked down trees and damaged structures across portions of central and northeast South Dakota. Ground zero was the town of Highmore (population of roughly 650 residents) in Hyde county where up to 80 to 90 percent of residences and commercial buildings experiences some form of wind damage, with a number of vehicles and farm implements also being tipped and tossed. Residents at Highmore Health, the towns nursing home had to be evacuated due to damage to the facility. There was no loss of human life and injuries reported were due to post-storm cleanup operations. 3 horses died due to these high winds. Cost of debris cleanup in Hyde county alone topped out at 1.4 million dollars.
Electrical infrastructure was severely disrupted, causing $2.4 million in utility distribution damage across Hyde and Hand counties. Power was knocked out to 1,072 residents in Hyde County (94% of the county). Power generation was heavily impacted; at least 20 wind turbines were damaged or destroyed at the Triple H and North Bend wind farms, with replacement costs estimated at $50 million.
Day County suffered extensive damage, particularly around Andover, where straight-line wind speeds reached 100 mph. Extensive tree stands were leveled, grain bins dented, and buildings damaged at the Andover Threshing Grounds. Day County power damage reached $18,000, leaving 487 residents without electricity. A brief EFU tornado was confirmed near Andover.
Even as the storm system departed, wrap around high winds caused additional tree damage in areas that had just missed out on thunderstorm wind damage, with several trees and limbs down in parts of Aberdeen, and a peak wind gust measured on a personal weather station of 88 mph in the town of Westport (Brown county).
Governor Rhoden requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration to assist with damage cleanup and repairs for Hyde, Hand, Hughes, Buffalo and Stanley counties including Lower Brule and Crow Creek reservations.
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 Jun 29, 1:11 AM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 312 AM CDT Mon Jun 29 2026 SDZ003>007-009-010-015>018-033>037-045-048-051-300815- Corson-Campbell-McPherson-Brown-Marshall-Walworth-Edmunds-Dewey- Potter-Faulk-Spink-Stanley-Sully-Hughes-Hyde-Hand-Jones-Lyman- Buffalo- 312 AM CDT Mon Jun 29 2026 /212 AM MDT Mon Jun 29 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, north central South Dakota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Slight (2 of 5) to Marginal (1 of 5) Risk for severe storms into mid-morning. Hail up to 3 inches in diameter and wind gusts of up to 90 mph will be possible. Additionally, the development of a tornado or two cannot be ruled out. Patchy to areas of fog will be reducing visibilities into the morning hours. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Marginal risk for severe storm development overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. .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 X feed. MNZ039-046-SDZ008-011-019>023-300815- Traverse-Big Stone-Roberts-Day-Clark-Codington-Grant-Hamlin-Deuel- 312 AM CDT Mon Jun 29 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Slight (2 of 5) to Marginal (1 of 5) Risk for severe weather mainly late afternoon moving east into the evening. Hail up to 1 inch in diameter and wind gusts of 60 mph will be possible in storms that do form. Patchy to areas of fog will be reducing visibilities into the morning hours. High temperatures in the 90s and high humidity values will be causing heat index values to get into the upper 90s to low 100s this afternoon over portions of northeastern SD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Marginal risk for severe storm development overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. .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 X feed.
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</html>The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 153 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:03 UTC.
41 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 3 high wind, 1 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The CoCoRaHS observer 11.5 miles west of Murdo stated hail up to the size of Ping-Pongs had dented vehicles.
An Ambient weather station 6 miles north northwest of Joe Creek Rec Area measured a peak wind speed of 112 mph.
A report from a residence 7 miles south of Harrold of thunderstorm damage included siding torn off a house and a barn door blow off.
Numerous wind turbines were damaged from straight-line thunderstorm winds southwest of the town of Highmore. A peak wind speed of 131 mph was measured at the South Dakota State University mesoent station near Highmore.
An Ambient mesonet station 3 miles east southeast of Holabird recorded a peak wind speed of 131 mph.
The Hyde County Emergency Manager estimated wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph with the thunderstorm.
The South Dakota State University mesonet station 1 mile outside of Highmore recorded a peak wind speed of 131 mph.
Widespread thunderstorm wind damage occurred in the town of Highmore, including trees uprooted or snapped, grain bins dented, knocked over farm implements and trailers, and broken power poles. Almost every building in town suffered some form of straight-line thunderstorm wind damage. The South Dakota State University mesonet station 1 mile west northwest of Highmore, located on the municipal airport grounds, recorded a peak wind gust of 131 mph.
The South Dakota State University mesonet station in Highmore recorded a peak wind gust of 131 mph. Widespread damage was observed in the wake of these high winds.
Public reports yard and basement flooding in Fort Pierre.
The Hand county emergency manager reports power lines down in Ree Heights. The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station 1 mile north of Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 112 mph.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station outside of Ree Heights recorded a wind gust of 84 mph. The peak wind gust of 112 mph was recorded 10 minutes after this observation.
The Hand county emergency manager reported that thunderstorm winds blew apart a garage and damaged outbuildings. A weather station located 1 mile east of Polo recorded a peak wind speed of 70 mph.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station near Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 112 mph.
A personal weather station 5 miles northeast of Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 87 mph.
A personal weather station in the town of Miller recorded a peak wind speed of 74 mph.
The Hand county Emergency Manager reports widespread thunderstorm wind damage across northern/northwestern Hand County. Damage includes power lines and trees down, buildings damaged and campers tipped over. Weather stations across this area reported 60-80 mph gusts but the EM suggest higher wind speeds likely occurred at some of these damage locations.
A National Weather Service employee traveling north of Miller observed 7 grain bins had been blown over or collapsed due to thunderstorm winds.
A personal weather station near to town of Polo recorded a peak wind gust of 70 mph.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station 5 miles south southwest of Miranda recorded a peak wind gust of 84 mph.
The South Dakota State University mesonet station 6 miles south of Rockham recorded a peak wind gust of 80 mph.
A personal weather station 5 miles northwest of Redfield recorded a peak wind gust of 84 mph.
A National Weather Service storm survey investigation of multiple trees downed along wind breaks south of Andover determined damage was from straight-line thunderstorm wind speed estimated at 74 mph.
During a National Weather Service storm survey it was determined that straight-line thunderstorm winds gusts estimated at 65 mph dented grain bins and tipped over a trailer at a residence.
Widespread thunderstorm wind damage along a tree row. The length of the damage extended for almost a mile, with straight-line thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 100 mph.
Multiple trees damaged and/or knocked down along a mature windbreak south of the town of Andover. Thunderstorm wind speeds estimated at 74 mph.
A tornado briefly touched down in an open field.
An employee for the South Dakota Department of Transportation reported numerous trees down due to thunderstorm winds around the town of Andover. A National Weather Service storm survey concluded thunderstorm winds peaked at about 76 mph on the southeast side of town.
Damage to several metal buildings was observed at the Andover Threshing Grounds. Two shops had their doors blown in with roofs partly blown out. One building had a window also blown out. A set of bleachers had also been knocked over. Thunderstorm winds were estimated at 95 mph.
Day county Emergency Management reported powerlines down in the town of Bristol. The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station near Bristol recorded a peak wind gust of 56 mph.
Locally strong winds created by low pressure in the wake of a decaying thunderstorm complex topped out at 68 mph on a personal weather station 2 miles southwest of Westport.
A personal weather station in the town of Westport recorded a peak wind gust of 88 mph associated with low pressure on the backside of the decaying thunderstorm complex.
The Emergency Manager in Webster reported several branches down due to thunderstorm winds estimated at about 60 mph.
Several large trees were downed at the campground on the east side of Roy Lake State Park. The nearby South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station in Lake City recorded a peak wind gust of 57 mph. Higher winds at this location may be related to a southwest wind/storm trajectory off the adjacent Roy Lake.
Hail to the size of Golf-balls reported by Emergency Management.
Estimated winds of 60 mph resulted in several broken tree branches at the National Weather Service office at the Aberdeen Regional Airport associated with low pressure on the backside of the decaying thunderstorm complex.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Dakota in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Dakota, 2026Warnings in South Dakota, June 2026
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: 1339355, 1339356, 1335167, 1335168, 1335170, 1335172, 1335173, 1339522, 1339537, 1335177, 1335176, 1339361, 1335178, 1339362, 1339525, 1339364, 1338394, 1339520, 1339365, 1339366, 1339517, 1339368, 1339369, 1339372, 1339374, 1339533, 1339866, 1339376, 1339379, 1339381, 1339382, 1339386, 1339387, 1339461, 1339467, 1339471, 1339448, 1339493, 1339420, 1339357, and more.