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Hand 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.
40
Tornado reports
326
Hail reports
42
Floods since 1996
867
All events
3
Deaths
$5.2M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Hand County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 39 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
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.
Tornado F3 Tornado
A single vehicle crash resulted in a fatality 1 mile west of Wessington on highway 14 due to icy conditions on the morning of April 2nd. The vehicle left the road and landed in a ditch where it rolled. The COOP observer 2 miles southeast of Wessington recorded 3 inches of snow ea…
The tornado initially touched down in the pasture land east of South Dakota Highway 45, roughly 0.8 miles south of 184th Street. It continued to track north for roughly 0.6 miles, damaging a tree grove and fence line. The track then turned west northwest and crossed South Dakota …
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
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.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station near Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 112 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A personal weather station 5 miles northeast of Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 87 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A personal weather station in the town of Miller recorded a peak wind speed of 74 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A personal weather station near to town of Polo recorded a peak wind gust of 70 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station 5 miles south southwest of Miranda recorded a peak wind gust of 84 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The South Dakota State University mesonet station 6 miles south of Rockham recorded a peak wind gust of 80 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
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.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
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.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
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 sug…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A National Weather Service employee traveling north of Miller observed 7 grain bins had been blown over or collapsed due to thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A member of the public estimated thunderstorms wind speeds of 60 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
The Huron RAWS station recorded a peak wind gust of 86 mph (75 knots).
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A member of the public estimated thunderstorm winds gusted as high as 60 mph.
High Wind High Wind
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station near Ree Heights recorded a peak wind gust of 61 mph. Due to these high winds and an ongoing dry spell, areas of blowing dust resulted in intermittent near-zero visibility along portions of Highway 14 between Ree Heigh…
High Wind High Wind
The Huron RAWS, located 5 miles east of Danforth recorded a peak wind gust of 75 mph, while the South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station 5 miles east of Orient recorded a peak gust of 72 mph. 3 additional weather stations in Hand county recorded a peak wind gust …
High Wind High Wind
The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station 5 miles east of Orient recorded a peak wind gust of 62 mph at 337 am. Later that morning, at approximately 10 am, high winds were responsible for blowing a trailer off a truck on Highway 45, 8 miles southeast of Polo.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
High Wind High Wind
High Wind High Wind
High Wind High Wind
High Wind High Wind
Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
High Wind High Wind
High Wind High Wind
The South Dakota Department of Transportation Mesonet station near Ree Heights measured a wind gust of 62 mph (54 kts).
High Wind High Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 0 |
| 2025 | 25 | 0 |
| 2024 | 21 | 0 |
| 2023 | 27 | 1 |
| 2022 | 39 | 0 |
| 2021 | 18 | 0 |
| 2020 | 21 | 1 |
| 2019 | 29 | 0 |
| 2018 | 41 | 3 |
| 2017 | 24 | 3 |
| 2016 | 21 | 0 |
| 2015 | 54 | 0 |
| 2014 | 22 | 2 |
| 2013 | 30 | 1 |
| 2012 | 26 | 0 |
| 2011 | 26 | 2 |
| 2010 | 22 | 0 |
| 2009 | 31 | 2 |
| 2008 | 35 | 1 |
| 2007 | 12 | 0 |
| 2006 | 38 | 3 |
| 2005 | 22 | 1 |
| 2004 | 18 | 0 |
| 2003 | 15 | 1 |
| 2002 | 20 | 0 |
| 2001 | 13 | 0 |
| 2000 | 29 | 0 |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 |
| 1998 | 18 | 1 |
| 1997 | 16 | 0 |
| 1996 | 16 | 0 |
| 1995 | 9 | 0 |
| 1994 | 12 | 1 |
| 1993 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992 | 16 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | 3 | 2 |
| 1984 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983 | 2 | 2 |
| 1982 | 3 | 0 |
| 1980 | 3 | 3 |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | 1 | 1 |
| 1976 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 |
| 1974 | 9 | 1 |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | 6 | 3 |
| 1970 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | 3 | 1 |
| 1964 | 2 | 1 |
| 1960 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959 | 2 | 2 |
| 1956 | 2 | 0 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Hand County, measured to its path.
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