Codington storm history

With low visibilities near mile marker 178 on Interstate-29 near Watertown, a pickup struck the back of a car on Sunday afternoon of the 26th. Two people were injured with a teenager dying a few days later as result of her injuries.

Snow resulted in hazardous travel along Interstate 29, with the South Dakota Highway Patrol warning motorists that slick conditions had resulted in numerous slide-ins. A storm total of 5.7 inches of snow was measured by the Watertown COOP observer.

Winds recorded at Watertown ASOS increased to 40 to 50 mph with snow, resulting in 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility beginning at 3:30 pm and continuing through 6:40 pm. A peak wind gust of 55 mph was recorded at 4:14 pm. Interstate 29 was closed north of Watertown due to hazardous trav…

A trained spotter submitted a photo of a funnel cloud near Waverly.

The Big Sioux River at Watertown Sioux Conifer Road gauge briefly hit flood stage for a few hours on the morning of August 23rd.

The South Branch Tributary Mud Creek near Rauville went into flood during the early morning hours of August 22nd, cresting at 4.91 feet, 0.91 feet above flood stage around mid-day. The creek would remain in flood through the early afternoon of August 23rd.

The Big Sioux River below Watertown river gauge would exceed flood stage starting in the morning of August 22nd, peaking at 11.68 or 0.68 feet above flood stage. The river crested in the evening and was back below flood stage by the late morning of August 23rd.

The Big Sioux River at Watertown Broadway Avenue stream gauge would report flooding during the late morning of August 22nd, peaking on the evening of the 22nd at 10.90 or 0.90 feet above flood stage. The river would remain in flood at this section through the early morning of Aug…

Willow Creek near Watertown went into flood on the evening of August 21st, topping out at 12.86 feet, or 2.86 feet above flood stage during the early morning hours of August 22nd before slowly falling, dropping below flood stage at 1230 AM August 23rd.

Heavy rainfall on saturated soils resulted in flooding in and around Watertown, with street flooding reported across the city. Northeast of Watertown, a vehicle left the Interstate after encountering some 10 inches of water on the roadway that flooded both lanes near mile marker …

Numerous trees down in and around the city of Watertown. The ASOS at Watertown Regional Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 71 mph.

The South Branch Tributary of Mud Creek near Rauville went into flood during the morning hours of August 6th. A peak crest of 4.91 feet was recorded at 1045 am CST on August 6th, with the creek falling below flood stage on the afternoon of August 7th.

Willow Creek near Watertown would go into flood on the morning of August 6th, cresting at 10.88 feet, or 0.88 above flood stage by the afternoon, and drop below flood stage by that evening.

Mud Creek at Rauville would go into flood during the early morning hours of August 6th, cresting in the late morning 1.34 feet above flood stage, before dropping below flood on August 7th in the afternoon.

The Big Sioux River near Watertown would go into flood around mid-day on August 6th, reaching 10.65 feet, or 0.65 feet above flood stage on the evening of the 6th. This portion of the river would remain in flood through the morning of the 7th. Flooding would mainly impact agricul…

The portion of the Big Sioux River at Watertown Sioux Conifer Road went into flood at 845 am CST August 7th, cresting at 9.15 feet, or 0.15 feet above flood stage. The river fell below flood at 9 pm CST August 7th with the flooding primarily limited to low spots.

The Codington County Emergency manager reports water has filled the ditches and is up to the bottoms of several bridges on the main highways with water over some secondary roads northeast of Watertown. Photos were also submitted via Facebook of flooded residences in northeast Wat…

Images posted to social media of multiple uprooted trees near Lake Kampeska, including one that landed on a garage. A nearby weather station recorded a 99 mph wind gust.

A peak wind gust of 99 mph was recorded by a personal a weather station at Sandy Shore State Park.

The Watertown Regional Airport Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) recorded a peak gust of 68 mph.

The Codington County Emergency Manager called in to report at least 40 large pines had been uprooted or knocked over along the south side of Lake Kampeska. One of these trees fell on a substation and power was knocked out to portions of Watertown for a few hours.

A trained spotter reported that hay bales had been rolled over 100 ft across a field with thunderstorm winds. The nearby ASOS at Watertown Regional Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 68 mph.

A trained spotter reported numerous tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter had come down. Some had blown nearly 100 feet across into a field.

The Codington County Emergency Manager reported multiple trees had been snapped due to strong thunderstorm winds. An empty grain bin had also been blown open at this location.

Due to heavy rainfall from persistent thunderstorms, the South Branch Tributary of Mud Creek near Rauville went into flood and crested at 5.13 feet, 1.13 feet above flood stage. This was the 5th highest crest on record for this location. The COOP observer in Rauville measured 3.6…

Mud Creek near Rauville would briefly flood on the morning of July 28th, cresting at 9.15 or 0.15 inches above flood stage, before quickly dropping below flood stage.

Willow Creek near Watertown would go into flood due to heavy rain from persistent thunderstorms. The creek would crest July 28th during the mid-morning hours, dropping below flood during the afternoon of the same day. A crest of 10.64 feet was observed, 0.64 feet above flood stag…

Baseball-sized hail was reported near Lake Kampeska. Numerous additional reports of golf-ball sized hail were received from in and around Watertown.

The Watertown Automated Surface Observing System recorded a peak wind gust of 71 mph.

Following 1.22 inches of rainfall measured by the COOP observer in Watertown, the South Branch Tributary of Mud Creek near Rauville rose above flood stage. The river crested at 4.55 feet before falling back below flood stage during the evening of July 24th.

A vehicle was blown off road along the highway north of Henry by an estimated 60 mph wind gust.

A trained spotter reported street flooding halfway up car tires on roadways in Watertown from brief but intense rainfall. The COOP observer in Watertown recorded 1.22 inches of rainfall in 1 hour.