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Lightning in Clark County, South Dakota

Lightning July 9, 2025 · Clark County, South Dakota

$2K
Damage as recorded

Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Lightning struck the Clark water tower, destroying the generator transfer switch and the emergency services repeater.

The wider storm

A cluster of storms would form a line in central and north central South Dakota, generating strong winds before weakening. The storms were responsible for breaking 3 power poles in the city of Mobridge, and completely ripping the roof off of a business shop that had been previously damaged by storms. The peak wind gust along the line was 81 mph measured at the South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station near Lowry. Additional, isolated thunderstorms in central South Dakota would go on to produce some large hail, up to the size of tennis-ball near the town of Lyman, and locally strong winds north of Fort Thompson which would snap power poles and roll haybales across a field.

As the system continued east overnight, locally strong winds would result in sending a car into the ditch north of Henry, while lightning would damage the generator circuits at the Clark water tower.

Began near Clark (44.8800, -97.7300).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1263070. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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