Jones County, South Dakota severe weather history spans 290 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 46.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,832 nationally and #57 in South Dakota.
290
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$90K
Property damage
The record
What the Jones County, South Dakota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jones County, South Dakota severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 124 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 25 events fall before 1990 and 265 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $59K in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jones County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 136 | 0 | $5K | 3 | 1960–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 126 | 0 | $0 | 104 | 1959–2024 |
| Flood | 17 | 0 | $59K | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $25K | F2 | 1971–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Jones County, South Dakota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-06-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-05-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-07-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jones County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | OKATON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 7, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A brief tornado touchdown ripped five large grain bins from their base. The bins were well anchored, in fact, large pieces of cement remained attached to the pins when they were pulled out. The bins were projectiled into two machine sheds and eventually carried about a half mile to the east southeast. Other debris, including a water tank and a dumpster were also tossed east. Other farm equipment was also damaged, including a tipped trailer and displaced grain auger. Pressure change inside the machine sheds also resulted in several combine windshields to be popped out. The house and machine sheds on the property sustained very little wind damage but were built well above normal standards, rated to withstand wind speeds at thresholds of 135 mph and 120 mph respectively.
The track started near 239th street, about 0.75 miles east of 264th Ave. The path was clearly noted through a shelter belt. The tornado continued another half mile where it damaged a farm. The primary residence had a quarter of the roof panels ripped off a gable style roof and multiple windows and glass doors blown out. Two outbuildings were completely destroyed. Another shed lost the entire tin roof. The debris track from the farm continued for about a quarter of a mile northeast. The resident���s pickup truck also noted damage including the back window broken and dents from flying debris. The tornado weakened, but continued roughly 3.5 miles northeast to Van Metre Rd where it damaged another farm. At this property a farmhouse had shingle damage to only half of the roof. A well-built machine shed was missing about a quarter of the roof panels. A grain cart was also flipped to the north.
Ice jams, combined with runoff from snow melt, caused moderate flooding along the White River. On March 22nd, the river forced the closure of Highway 83. About a 3/4 mile stretch of Highway 83 was inundated, due to water backing up behind and ice jam downstream. On March 23rd, a record flow of 21,700 cfs was recorded at the site. Records for this location go back 20 years.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
1,004
Population (ACS)
$140K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Aug 2, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jones County, South Dakota?
290 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $90K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jones County?
Hail, with 136 recorded events — 46.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jones County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jones County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jones County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jones County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jones County as very low risk, placing it in the 1 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jones County, South Dakota severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Jerauld County 219
- Kingsbury County 383
- Jackson County 701
- Lake County 334
- Hyde County 315
- Lawrence County 703
Cite this page
“Jones County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/jones-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.