Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota severe weather history spans 676 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #436 nationally and #13 in South Dakota.
676
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
69
Direct injuries
$5.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota severe weather history averages 9.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 274 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 662 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.4M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Oglala Lakota County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 326 | 0 | $606K | 4.25 | 1980–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 296 | 1 | $783K | 80 | 1981–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $3.4M | F3 | 1956–2018 |
| Flood | 17 | 0 | $620K | 0 | 2008–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $2K | 400 | 1997–2023 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $1K | 0 | 2001–2001 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2024–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2016–2016 |
Decade by decade
Oglala Lakota 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
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-08-06 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 28.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-06-04 | EF2 | 1 | 54 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-06-21 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-07-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-07-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-07-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Oglala Lakota County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 1999 | Tornado | SLIM BUTTE | 1 | 54 | $3.2M |
| Apr 18, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | OGLALA | 1 | 5 | $20K |
| Jun 9, 2001 | Lightning | PINE RIDGE | 1 | 1 | $1K |
| Jul 22, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | OGLALA | 0 | 3 | $150K |
| Jul 3, 1998 | Flash Flood | MANDERSON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jul 11, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | SHARPS CORNER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | PINE RIDGE | 0 | 1 | $20K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This was the first of two tornadoes that swept through the town of Oglala. Spotters and law enforcement reported that the tornado went up and down several times. It remained on the ground just prior to hitting Oglala and then dissipated as it moved to the northeast. There was one fatality with 54 people receiving medical care for injuries. A church and three of its surrounding buildings were destroyed, 22 mobile homes destroyed, 30 to 50 buildings damaged and a lot of hail damage to roofs and vehicles.
Moderate to major flooding occurred along the White River in Oglala Lakota County. Runoff from melting snow into the White River caused river ice to break up and jam. Additional flooding also occurred along White Clay Creek upstream and downstream from Oglala Dam due to the snowmelt.
Runoff from heavy rain caused overland flooding and flooding along the White River, White Clay Creek, American Horse Creek, and smaller tributaries. Water covered several roads, including American Horse Creek Road southwest of Kyle. The White River crested two feet over flood stage (15 feet) at the Nebraska-South Dakota State Line and just over two feet above flood stage (19 feet) near Oglala.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,491
Population (ACS)
$53K
Median home value
Within the county
Most affected places
- Oglala 133
- Kyle 129
- Porcupine 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota?
676 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $5.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Oglala Lakota County?
Hail, with 326 recorded events — 48.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Oglala Lakota County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 26 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How risky is Oglala Lakota County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oglala Lakota County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 50 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Oglala Lakota 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
- Moody County 323
- Pennington County 2,406
- Minnehaha County 1,164
- Perkins County 727
- Miner County 232
- Potter County 309
Cite this page
“Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/oglala-lakota-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.