55,299
Recorded events
66
Counties covered
89
Direct deaths
$1.1B
Property damage
South Dakota severe weather history covers 55,299 recorded events across 66 counties between 1950 and 2026.
The South Dakota severe weather history record is dominated by hail, which accounts for 30.5% of everything logged statewide across 66 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 89 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
South Dakota severe weather history by hazard
| Hazard | Events | Counties | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 16,851 | 66 | 0 | $179.8M | 1955–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 12,451 | 66 | 10 | $92.7M | 1955–2026 |
| High Wind | 4,953 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 1996–2026 |
| Winter Weather | 3,114 | 0 | 8 | $613K | 1999–2026 |
| Winter Storm | 2,895 | 0 | 1 | $92.1M | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 2,534 | 66 | 5 | $226.9M | 1996–2025 |
| Blizzard | 2,499 | 0 | 13 | $112.8M | 1996–2026 |
| Drought | 1,962 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1999–2026 |
| Tornado | 1,938 | 66 | 19 | $259.2M | 1950–2025 |
| Heavy Snow | 1,416 | 0 | 0 | $341K | 1996–2026 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 1,388 | 0 | 6 | $0 | 2008–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 831 | 66 | 4 | $54.3M | 1996–2025 |
| Excessive Heat | 612 | 0 | 1 | $30K | 2007–2025 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 605 | 0 | 6 | $0 | 1996–2025 |
| Strong Wind | 279 | 0 | 0 | $265K | 1997–2026 |
| Heat | 246 | 0 | 1 | $0 | 2006–2025 |
| Ice Storm | 204 | 0 | 8 | $25.7M | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 169 | 52 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 127 | 42 | 5 | $5.0M | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 85 | 33 | 0 | $182K | 1996–2025 |
| Wildfire | 84 | 25 | 1 | $55K | 1999–2026 |
| Dense Fog | 15 | 0 | 1 | $20K | 1997–2024 |
| Lakeshore Flood | 13 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2010–2011 |
| Dense Smoke | 10 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2023–2023 |
| Dust Storm | 8 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2018–2025 |
| Freezing Fog | 7 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2008–2023 |
| Dust Devil | 3 | 3 | 0 | $26K | 2004–2019 |
County index
Most active counties
| County | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Pennington County | 2,406 | 2 |
| Meade County | 1,584 | 0 |
| Minnehaha County | 1,164 | 5 |
| Brown County | 1,102 | 4 |
| Custer County | 974 | 0 |
| Harding County | 749 | 0 |
| Perkins County | 727 | 0 |
| Lawrence County | 703 | 1 |
| Jackson County | 701 | 0 |
| Beadle County | 689 | 0 |
| Butte County | 678 | 1 |
| Fall River County | 677 | 0 |
| Oglala Lakota County | 676 | 3 |
| Corson County | 626 | 0 |
| Lyman County | 605 | 2 |
| Tripp County | 595 | 0 |
| Spink County | 595 | 2 |
| Lincoln County | 591 | 3 |
| Charles Mix County | 590 | 1 |
| Hand County | 579 | 1 |
| Haakon County | 570 | 0 |
| Todd County | 567 | 0 |
| Edmunds County | 547 | 0 |
| Yankton County | 531 | 1 |
| Codington County | 523 | 0 |
Full index
Every county in South Dakota
- Pennington County
- Meade County
- Minnehaha County
- Brown County
- Custer County
- Harding County
- Perkins County
- Lawrence County
- Jackson County
- Beadle County
- Butte County
- Fall River County
- Oglala Lakota County
- Corson County
- Lyman County
- Tripp County
- Spink County
- Lincoln County
- Charles Mix County
- Hand County
- Haakon County
- Todd County
- Edmunds County
- Yankton County
- Codington County
- Dewey County
- Hughes County
- Brookings County
- Union County
- Ziebach County
- Bon Homme County
- Hutchinson County
- Davison County
- Day County
- Stanley County
- Clark County
- Turner County
- Bennett County
- Walworth County
- Gregory County
- McCook County
- McPherson County
- Brule County
- Kingsbury County
- Clay County
- Hamlin County
- Faulk County
- Marshall County
- Roberts County
- Lake County
- Moody County
- Sanborn County
- Hyde County
- Potter County
- Aurora County
- Mellette County
- Jones County
- Grant County
- Sully County
- Campbell County
- Deuel County
- Hanson County
- Miner County
- Douglas County
- Jerauld County
- Buffalo County
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events are recorded in South Dakota?
55,299 events are on record across South Dakota, covering 66 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Which county in South Dakota has the most severe weather on record?
Pennington County leads South Dakota with 2,406 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.
Where does the South Dakota severe weather history data come from?
Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“South Dakota Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/south-dakota/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.