PIERRE, SD — South Dakota has been hit by a run of severe weather that includes a 131 mph wind gust in Highmore on June 29, one of the strongest ever recorded in the United States. The National Weather Service said the wind came from a severe thunderstorm, not a tornado.
State climatologist Laura Edwards said gusts above 130 mph are rare, but they can happen when conditions line up just right. In this case, she said, a storm carrying strong winds and large hail intensified as it moved into central South Dakota.
Wind Damage and Records
Weather records show South Dakota has seen a number of high-wind events over the past two decades, including 18 wind reports above 100 mph in 2008, eight in 2015 and 13 in 2022. The Highmore gust was the second-highest wind reading ever recorded in the state.
In December, another major windstorm hit Custer, Fall River and Pennington counties, with sustained winds and gusts above 90 mph. It knocked down power lines, damaged trees and public infrastructure, and left thousands without electricity.
Disaster Declarations Over Time
South Dakota has also relied heavily on federal disaster help. FEMA records show 16 major disaster declarations in the state over the past nine years, not counting the COVID-19 pandemic, with storms, flooding, tornadoes, winter weather and straight-line winds among the causes.
State disaster declarations are made by the governor, while federal declarations depend on damage assessments and the level of recovery resources needed. State emergency officials said local and state reviews determine whether an event is beyond local capability.
Drought and Dry Conditions
Along with wind, parts of South Dakota are dealing with dry weather. The U.S. Drought Monitor says about 48% of the state is in moderate to extreme drought, affecting an estimated 557,792 people, with the worst conditions concentrated in the south.
Darren Clabo, a state fire meteorologist at South Dakota Mines, said the jet stream has been bringing wind without much moisture. Laura Edwards said drought has moved in and out across the state for several years, and she expects any improvement to be uneven from one area to another.
Weather Alerts and Forecasts
Officials say people should have more than one way to get warnings when severe weather threatens. NOAA Weather Radio, wireless emergency alerts, and local sirens can all help, though each system has limits and outages can happen.
Recent problems in Aberdeen, Viborg and Sioux Falls showed why backup plans matter. Looking ahead, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center expects warmer-than-average weather in much of South Dakota over the next one to three months, with the north-central part of the state leaning near to below average.
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