354
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Jackson County, South Dakota: 354 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 83. That places the county #295 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Jackson County, South Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Jackson County is the 2020s, when 148 of the county's 354 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 Jackson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 50.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #295 for this hazard and #5 within South Dakota, putting it in the 90.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Jackson County with 114 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10, 2001 | WANBLEE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $383K |
| Jun 10, 2001 | CEDAR PASS | 58 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2026 | CACTUS FLATS | 53 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | BELVIDERE | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | WANBLEE | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | WANBLEE | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | CACTUS FLATS | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | WANBLEE | 55 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | CACTUS FLATS | 57 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | CACTUS FLATS | 60 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | KADOKA | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2025 | CACTUS FLATS | 61 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jackson County
- Hail 292
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Four semi tractor-trailers were blown over along Interstate 90 between mile markers 170 and 174. Four nearby grain bins and a pole barn were blown down; one flew across the Interstate. Several telephone poles were snapped. Time was estimated by the sheriff.
Strong winds of 60-75 mph did major damage in parts of Kadoka. Roofs were torn off buildings, big trees were uprooted, buildings and vehicles were damaged. An Old Home bread truck was laid over on Interstate-90 near Kadoka. People said the roar of the wind sounded like a tornado. Damage was estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The thunderstorm that began in Pennington County moved east into northern Jackson County causing light structural damage in the Cottonwood area and blew over a tractor-semitrailer on Interstate 90 between Wall and Kodoka.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Jackson County, South Dakota?
354 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Jackson County between 1974 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Jackson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Jackson County measured 83.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Jackson 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Jackson County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/jackson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.