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Minnehaha 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.
48
Tornado reports
504
Hail reports
230
Floods since 1996
1,554
All events
15
Deaths
$102.2M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Minnehaha County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 47 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.
Tornado F3 Tornado
A deceased woman was found outdoors on January 19 just outside the city limits of Sioux Falls to the north of Family Park. Law enforcement noted the cause of death was exposure to the cold weather. Wind chill values throughout the day generally ranged from 10 to 30 below zero at …
A thunderstorm wind gust of 81 mph was measured by South Dakota State University mesonet site CTNS2 2 miles east-southeast of Colton. Wind-driven debris went through the windshield of a vehicle and caused the (direct) fatality to the passenger near Colton.
A tree was blown down onto a house. A large tree was also blown down on a car which resulted in the fatality of the driver.
A period of freezing drizzle produced a thin glaze of ice on surfaces during the late afternoon and early evening of February 21. Slick roads caused a two-car accident in the northern portion of Sioux Falls which resulted in the fatality (indirect) of one driver. Precipitation ch…
Snowfall, heavy at times between 1200-1600CST, accumulated to 7.0 inches on the west side of Sioux Falls, 6.5 inches 2 miles west southwest of Garretson, and 6.0 inches 4 miles northwest of Renner and 6 miles south of Hartford. Poor road conditions at the onset led to numerous ac…
Light freezing rain created a glaze of ice on roadways late in the evening of November 5. One fatality (indirect) occurred when a vehicle lost control on an ice-covered bridge on Interstate 229 in Sioux Falls, rolled down an embankment and struck a tree. A 16-year-old passenger i…
Periods of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle resulted in a glaze of ice on roadways and treacherous driving conditions. A 54-year-old male was killed (indirect) when his vehicle lost control on an icy bridge, left the roadway and rolled near Humboldt around 1350CST.
After a very brief period of light snow, periods of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle resulted in treacherous road conditions with up to a few hundredths of an inch accumulation. One fatality and four injuries (indirect) occurred the following morning when a vehicle lost c…
Snowfall of 4 to 6 inches, including 6 inches at Sioux Falls, was accompanied by light to moderate winds. A 70 year old woman died of exposure in Sioux Falls after wandering away from her assisted living facility at night. Wind chills at the time varied from zero to 5 above.
Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick. A man from Minnesota was killed when his vehicle slid off Interstate 90 near Brandon and rolled in a ditch.
High winds destroyed several farm buildings in the Baltic and Dell Rapids area. There were also numerous reports of funnel clouds in the area. The storm was blamed for a two vehicle crash on a road west of Interstate 29 killing one driver and injuring the other. Roads were closed…
Winds gusted as high as 63 mph near Dell Rapids and 62 mph at Sioux Falls, and despite a lack of pre-storm snow cover, snowfall which accumulated to 4.5 inches 6 miles south of Hartford, 3.0 inches at Colton and 2.8 inches at Sioux Falls resulted in widespread whiteout conditions…
Temperatures reaching the 90s to a few degrees above 100, and high humidity with dew points in the 70s, caused an extended period of excessive heat. The heat index peaked at 100 to 110 degrees each day, and did not fall enough at night to provide much relief to indoor locations t…
Shortly after touchdown just southeast of O'Gorman High School, the tornado struck a multi-story apartment building and removed a majority of the roof. Numerous trees were uprooted in residential areas north of 41st Street as the tornado continued in a general southeast direction…
Snow melt and heavy rainfall (measured 2.74 inches at Hartford, 2.25 inches at Colton, and 2.49 inches at Sioux Falls) resulted in extensive flooding of the Sioux Falls park system near the natural channel of the Big Sioux River around the southern side of Sioux Falls. Water, and…
Numerous flooding reports across the city of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County, with several closed roads. Reports through social media as well as law enforcement. Other flooding resulted in extensive damage to public infrastructure including numerous county and township roads, cu…
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 100 mph caused widespread damage to trees and power lines and damaged several homes. Many trees were blown over or completely uprooted. At least one house was completely destroyed, and others had parts of their roofs blown off. Windows were broken …
Large hail caused widespread damage to vehicles, windows, roofs, and siding.
Large hail broke windows and damaged many vehicles, as well as siding and roofs. One automobile dealer with a large temporary outdoor display reported four thousand vehicles were damaged.
An extended period of precipitation began with freezing rain quickly producing heavy ice accumulations, ranging up to more than a half inch in Sioux Falls. The precipitation then changed to sleet and then snow, with sleet and snow accumulations reaching 10 inches near Wall Lake. …
Rainfall of 3 to 8 inches caused flooding of numerous basements. Structural damaged was caused to several of the basements as walls caved in. Ground floors of several residences, businesses, and schools were flooded, including a dentists office. There was significant damage to co…
A tornado heavily damaged 20 or more homes in the Hartford Heights development east of Hartford. Roofs were removed from houses and garages were destroyed. The tornado uprooted large trees. Many of the homes had to be destroyed afterwards due to the amount of damage they received…
Flash flooding of streams, roads, lowlands, homes, and other buildings was especially severe in the Valley Springs area. Most of the town was flooded, with widespread damage to basements and first floors of homes. The flooding left a layer of mud over much of the town. The sewer …
Large hail severely damaged vehicles and also broke windows and damaged siding in some buildings. The hail was reported at several places around the city, but the damage was greatest in the southeast part of Sioux Falls.One insurance company expected about three thousand claims f…
Nearly stationary thunderstorms dumped five to seven one-half inches of rain and hail within three hours on the southwest side of Sioux Falls causing major urban flooding and a flash flood on an area creek. At least 200 basements were flooded by water and sewage as the storm and …
Excessive Heat Excessive Heat
Dangerous heat index readings reached afternoon peaks as high as 111 degrees at Sioux Falls and 5 miles west-southwest of Sioux Falls, 109 degrees near Colton and Baltic, and 105 degrees 3 miles north-northwest of Sioux Falls.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A dairy farm sustained significant damage to numerous outbuildings.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A silo and another farm outbuilding were destroyed by thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds caused damage to large tree limbs.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by the Automated Surface Observing System site 3 miles north-northwest of Sioux Falls at Joe Foss Field.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by the South Dakota Road Weather Information System site near Dell Rapids.
Drought Drought
Severe (D2) drought conditions intensified to extreme (D3) during mid to late month.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
A small portion of Hwy 38 between Hartford and Humboldt (between 459th and 460th Ave) was impassable due to water over the road. Water was 3-4 feet deep in a couple of spots, but appeared to be slowly receding. Deputies had requested DOT barricades to close that section of road u…
Hail Hail
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 38 | 2 |
| 2025 | 52 | 0 |
| 2024 | 44 | 0 |
| 2023 | 44 | 0 |
| 2022 | 104 | 2 |
| 2021 | 55 | 0 |
| 2020 | 32 | 0 |
| 2019 | 109 | 2 |
| 2018 | 93 | 2 |
| 2017 | 33 | 0 |
| 2016 | 27 | 0 |
| 2015 | 30 | 0 |
| 2014 | 58 | 2 |
| 2013 | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 | 22 | 0 |
| 2011 | 32 | 0 |
| 2010 | 60 | 0 |
| 2009 | 23 | 0 |
| 2008 | 33 | 2 |
| 2007 | 23 | 0 |
| 2006 | 10 | 1 |
| 2005 | 50 | 0 |
| 2004 | 62 | 0 |
| 2003 | 32 | 3 |
| 2002 | 73 | 0 |
| 2001 | 62 | 4 |
| 2000 | 35 | 1 |
| 1999 | 17 | 0 |
| 1998 | 13 | 0 |
| 1997 | 22 | 0 |
| 1996 | 24 | 2 |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 |
| 1993 | 7 | 1 |
| 1992 | 9 | 2 |
| 1991 | 14 | 0 |
| 1990 | 8 | 0 |
| 1989 | 5 | 1 |
| 1987 | 4 | 1 |
| 1986 | 7 | 2 |
| 1985 | 11 | 0 |
| 1984 | 7 | 0 |
| 1983 | 12 | 0 |
| 1982 | 24 | 1 |
| 1981 | 5 | 0 |
| 1980 | 10 | 0 |
| 1979 | 10 | 2 |
| 1978 | 9 | 1 |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 |
| 1974 | 9 | 1 |
| 1973 | 4 | 2 |
| 1972 | 2 | 0 |
| 1971 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | 3 | 2 |
| 1969 | 3 | 0 |
| 1968 | 6 | 0 |
| 1967 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | 9 | 0 |
| 1965 | 3 | 2 |
| 1964 | 1 | 0 |
| 1963 | 2 | 0 |
| 1962 | 4 | 3 |
| 1961 | 4 | 2 |
| 1960 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958 | 2 | 0 |
| 1957 | 5 | 0 |
| 1956 | 6 | 2 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Minnehaha County, measured to its path.
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