45
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$2.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Charles Mix County, South Dakota: 45 recorded events between 1954 and 2019. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #479 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Charles Mix County, South Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Charles Mix County is the 1960s, when 12 of the county's 45 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Charles Mix County archive, tornado makes up 7.6% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #479 for this hazard and #7 within South Dakota, putting it in the 83.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Charles Mix County with 23 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-06-24 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-10 | EF2 | 16.2 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-04 | EF2 | 4.3 mi | 137 yd | Touched down here |
| 1968-06-20 | EF2 | 33.5 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1968-06-20 | EF2 | 21.4 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-07-29 | EF2 | 4.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-06-05 | EF1 | 9.9 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF1 | 3.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF1 | 3.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-08-07 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 1973 | F2 | 1 | 1 | $25K | |
| Jul 19, 1981 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 16, 1962 | F3 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 15, 1962 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2019 | LAKE ANDES ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| May 10, 2015 | WAGNER | EF0 | $0 |
| May 30, 2011 | DANTE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2008 | MARTY | EF1 | $100K |
| May 5, 2007 | PLATTE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2004 | WAGNER | F0 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2003 | LAKE ANDES | F1 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2003 | LAKE ANDES | F1 | $50K |
| Jun 25, 2003 | LAKE ANDES | F0 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2000 | WAGNER | F1 | $100K |
Other hazards here
More from Charles Mix County
- Hail 290
- Thunderstorm Wind 182
- Flood 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A brief tornado developed in an open field north of South Dakota Highway 50, about 5 miles west northwest of Lake Andes. Witnesses said the tornado remained in open fields and caused no visible damage as it moved toward the east-southeast, lifting three minutes later after traveling just over one mile.
A tornado moved from northwest to southeast on a ten mile track over open country. The tornado damaged crops, mainly corn, but did not cause any property damage. The tornado was observed to be about a quarter mile wide early in its life, then steadily narrowed before roping out and dissipating.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Charles Mix County, South Dakota?
45 tornado events are recorded in Charles Mix County between 1954 and 2019, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Charles Mix County?
The strongest tornado on record in Charles Mix County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Charles Mix County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Charles Mix County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/charles-mix-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.