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Brookings County, South Dakota
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1956 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
32
Tornado reports
164
Hail reports
131
Floods since 1996
844
All events
1
Deaths
$19.2M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Brookings County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 32 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
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Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Northwest winds gusting above 35 mph caused blowing and drifting of existing snow cover. Visibilities dropped below a half mile at times, and drifting snow blocked some roads. Wind chills lowered to near 20 below zero during the night. A 65 year old woman died of exposure after s…
Very strong winds, likely the result of a downburst in a severe thunderstorm, destroyed an apartment building, five mobile homes, 15 garages, and 16 vehicles, and damaged many other homes and vehicles. 12 people were treated for minor injuries from the storm. The storm also cause…
Thunderstorm winds caused widespread structural, tree, and power line damage in and near Sinai. The roof was ripped off a mobile home, a well drilling business was destroyed, the siding from another business was ripped off, part of a grain elevator was smashed, several garages we…
Large hail falling over an area 20 miles long and almost 5 miles wide caused property and crop damage. The hail damaged siding and windows of homes as well as vehicles. An estimated 60,000 acres of crops were destroyed or damaged. Hail was discovered piled up 6 inches deep in som…
Heat Heat
Dangerous heat index readings reached a brief afternoon peak as high as 105 degrees at Elkton, 103 degrees at Brookings, and 102 degrees near Volga.
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
Flood Flood
Big Sioux River near Bruce rose above flood stage the morning of June 5th, cresting around 1.51 feet above flood stage (9.51 feet) on June 6th. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of June 7th.
Flood Flood
Big Sioux River near Estelline rose above flood stage the morning of June 4th, cresting around 1.95 feet above flood stage (1645.95 feet) on June 5th. This crest is in the Moderate category. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of June 7th.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions develop in early month and improved to moderate (D1) late month.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions improved to moderate (D1) late month.
Drought Drought
Moderate (D1) drought conditions worsened to severe (D2) late month.
Blizzard Blizzard
Northerly winds gusted as high as 46 mph at Brookings and Volga and 44 mph at White. During and after a period of heavy snowfall which totaled 7.1 inches 2 miles south-southeast of Astoria, 6.0 inches 2 miles south of Brookings, and 5.1 inches at Aurora, visibility was reduced to…
High Wind High Wind
Sustained winds were between 40 and 46 mph at times, with gusts as high as 61 mph at a South Dakota Mesonet site near Volga.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Snowfall totaled 4.7 inches 6.5 miles north-northwest of Brookings, 4.0 inches 2.2 miles south-southeast of Astoria and 1.6 miles south of Brookings, and 3.8 inches in Aurora.
High Wind High Wind
Sustained winds were between 40 and 44 mph at times at the Automated Weather Observing System in Brookings (KBKX).
Winter Weather Winter Weather
A combination of wind gusts from 45 to 55 mph and light snow resulted in brief reductions in visibility to one mile or less, resulting in difficult travel.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Northwest winds gusted to 48 mph at Brookings and 47 at a South Dakota Mesonet site in Volga. These winds combined with periods of light snowfall which totaled around 1 inch to produce visibility briefly as low as one-quarter to one-half mile.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Northwest winds were sustained from 30 to 38 mph with gusts as high as 48 mph in Brookings and 47 mph at a South Dakota Mesonet site at Volga.
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Sustained winds reached 30 to 39 mph at times with a peak gust of 52 mph at an Automated Weather Observing System site at Brookings, 49 mph at a South Dakota Mesonet site at Volga, and 47 mph 2 miles north-northeast of Brookings.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Short duration near-blizzard conditions occurred, divided by a longer improvement in conditions as falling snow ended for a time during the afternoon and early evening. Gusty northwest winds from 30 to 45 mph were concurrent with light snowfall, which totaled 1.0 to 2.0 inches ar…
High Wind High Wind
Northwest winds were sustained between 40 and 46 mph at times, with gusts as high as 58 mph at a South Dakota Mesonet site at Volga.
High Wind High Wind
Synoptic northwest winds were sustained from 40 to 48 mph with a peak gust of 56 mph at a South Dakota Mesonet site at Volga and 55 mph at an Automated Weather Observing System site at Brookings.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Snowfall totaled 2.5 inches 1.6 miles south of Brookings.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
A long-duration snowfall totaled 5.5 inches 5 miles west of Bruce and at Brookings, and 3.7 inches at Aurora. During a brief break in snowfall during the evening of November 28, a period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle resulted in a few hundredths of an inch ice accum…
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Sustained winds were from 30 to 39 mph, with a peak gust of 52 mph at the South Dakota Mesonet site near Volga and 49 mph at Brookings.
Winter Weather Winter Weather
Gusty winds from 40 to 55 mph along with a period of late afternoon snowfall which totaled 1 to 2 inches around Brookings led to visibility as low as one-half mile near Brookings and Volga.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruce rose above flood stage on the morning of September 18th, cresting around 0.79 feet above flood stage (8.79 ft) on the 19th. The river fell below flood stage during the early morning on September 20th.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked over lawn furniture and broke 2 to 4 inch diameter tree branches.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruce rose above flood stage on the evening of August 18th, cresting around 2.22 feet above flood stage (10.22 ft) on August 20th. This crest is in the moderate flood category. The river remained above flood stage into September.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Estelline rose above flood stage on the morning of August 17th, cresting around 2.53 feet above flood stage (1646.53 ft) on August 19th. This crest is in the moderate flood category. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of August 28th.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts blew numerous items off a deck.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorms knocked over a couple of light poles near U.S. Highway 14 in Volga.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Several 4 to 5 inch diameter tree limbs were downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruce rose above flood stage on the evening of August 7th, cresting around 0.47 feet above flood stage (8.47 ft) on August 8th. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of August 11th.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Estelline rose above flood stage on the afternoon of August 6th, cresting around 0.47 feet above flood stage (1644.47 ft) on August 8th. The river then fell below flood stage on the evening of August 10th.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree branch along Faculty Drive.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Estelline continued above flood stage from July. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of August 3rd.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruice continued above flood stage from July. The river then fell below flood stage on the morning of August 4th.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruce rose above flood stage on the morning of July 29th, cresting around 1.59 feet above flood stage (9.59 ft) on July 31st. The river stayed above flood stage into early August.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Estelline rose above flood stage on the morning of July 28th, cresting around 2.15 feet above flood stage (1646.15 ft) later that day. This is in the moderate category. The river stayed above flood stage into early August.
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Dangerous heat index readings reached an afternoon peak as high as 109 degrees near Elkton, 108 degrees at the South Dakota Mesonet site VGAS2 near Volga, and 107 degrees at the South Dakota Mesonet site BKMS2 in Brookings on July 27.
Flood Flood
Medary Creek near Medary remained above flood stage from June. The creek fell below flood stage the evening of July 1st.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Estelline continued above flood stage from June. The river then fell below flood stage on the afternoon of July 4th.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Bruce continued above flood stage from June, further rising to a crest around 2.49 feet above flood stage (10.49 feet). The river then fell below flood stage during the early morning of July 6th.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Brookings continued above flood stage from June, further rising to a crest around 1.39 feet above flood stage (10.39 feet). The river then fell below flood stage during the afternoon of July 9th.
Flood Flood
The Big Sioux River near Brookings rose above flood stage the morning of June 30th, cresting around 0.98 feet above flood stage (9.98 feet) on June 30th. The river continued rising into early July.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 | 0 |
| 2025 | 59 | 0 |
| 2024 | 32 | 0 |
| 2023 | 34 | 4 |
| 2022 | 45 | 2 |
| 2021 | 20 | 0 |
| 2020 | 31 | 0 |
| 2019 | 54 | 0 |
| 2018 | 38 | 0 |
| 2017 | 21 | 0 |
| 2016 | 28 | 0 |
| 2015 | 28 | 2 |
| 2014 | 15 | 0 |
| 2013 | 16 | 0 |
| 2012 | 20 | 0 |
| 2011 | 22 | 0 |
| 2010 | 43 | 0 |
| 2009 | 18 | 0 |
| 2008 | 20 | 0 |
| 2007 | 17 | 0 |
| 2006 | 9 | 1 |
| 2005 | 21 | 0 |
| 2004 | 22 | 0 |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | 26 | 1 |
| 2001 | 25 | 1 |
| 2000 | 19 | 0 |
| 1999 | 10 | 0 |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 |
| 1997 | 21 | 2 |
| 1996 | 15 | 1 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 3 |
| 1991 | 7 | 0 |
| 1990 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | 6 | 1 |
| 1985 | 5 | 1 |
| 1984 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | 4 | 0 |
| 1980 | 10 | 2 |
| 1979 | 3 | 3 |
| 1977 | 3 | 1 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | 5 | 0 |
| 1974 | 1 | 0 |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | 4 | 4 |
| 1969 | 2 | 1 |
| 1968 | 2 | 0 |
| 1967 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | 4 | 2 |
| 1963 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | 1 | 0 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Brookings County, measured to its path.
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