47
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$6.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Kingsbury County, South Dakota: 47 recorded events between 1959 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #432 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Kingsbury County, South Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Kingsbury County is the 2000s, when 18 of the county's 47 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 Kingsbury County archive, tornado makes up 12.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #432 for this hazard and #4 within South Dakota, putting it in the 85.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Kingsbury County with 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-06-24 | EF4 | 10.0 mi | 1,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-16 | EF3 | 4.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF2 | 2.2 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-20 | EF2 | 10.4 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 2022-06-20 | EF1 | 3.7 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 2020-08-28 | EF1 | 0.6 mi | 25 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-05-05 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2006-05-02 | EF1 | 2.1 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF1 | 0.7 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF1 | 1.5 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2003 | ESMOND | F4 | 0 | 4 | $3.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2023 | ERWIN | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 11, 2023 | DE SMET MUNI ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2022 | DE SMET MUNI ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2022 | OSCEOLA | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 28, 2020 | DE SMET | EF1 | $75K |
| Aug 28, 2020 | DE SMET MUNI ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2013 | DE SMET MUNI ARPT | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2013 | OSCEOLA | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2007 | ESMOND | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2006 | IROQUOIS | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kingsbury County
- Hail 186
- Thunderstorm Wind 125
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado spun up west of 432nd Avenue and north of 211th Street. As the tornado traveled generally eastward, ground scour was noted to crops. The greatest damage occurred mid-track where a barn collapsed, with the debris blown downstream into another building. A few other outbuildings were also damaged. Large branches in tree breaks were snapped and the upper half of a concrete silo collapsed. The tornado dissipated one quarter mile east of 432nd Avenue around 3 miles south-southwest of De Smet. Property damage costs are rough estimates.
A tornado destroyed three calf shelters and two hog shelters, killing two cows and about a dozen hogs. The tornado also lifted a calf feeder 50 feet and rolled it 200 yards, and damaged grain bins. The tornado was well observed and photographed, and was classified as a landspout type of tornado.
A brief touchdown was observed in an open field. The tornado caused no damage from which the NWS could assign an EF-scale rating. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Kingsbury County, South Dakota?
47 tornado events are recorded in Kingsbury County between 1959 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Kingsbury County?
The strongest tornado on record in Kingsbury County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Kingsbury 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 Kingsbury County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/kingsbury-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.