135
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$5K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McPherson County, South Dakota: 135 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,731 nationally and #38 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McPherson County, South Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McPherson County is the 2020s, when 51 of the county's 135 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 McPherson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 35.0% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,731 for this hazard and #38 within South Dakota, putting it in the 44.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McPherson County with 52 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | LANGLAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | LONG LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | LONG LAKE | 54 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | EUREKA MUNI ARPT | 61 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2025 | HILLSVIEW | 58 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2025 | LONG LAKE | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | EUREKA | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | LONG LAKE | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 7, 2025 | HILLSVIEW | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 2024 | HILLSVIEW | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McPherson County
- Hail 196
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Estimated 80 mph winds caused damage along the south side of Leola including an unroofed barn, tipped grain bins, downed tree branches, tipped camper, and destroyed pole barn. Debris was sent flying into the home of a local resident with no injuries reported.
Significant damage occurred to the Long Lake Hutterite Colony. Witnesses said two rounds of wind caused damage to the property. Southerly storm inflow winds ripped multiple roof panels off four separate turkey barns. Debris was spread to the west northwest. Additional damage was done to a feed mill and a machine shed was completely destroyed. Debris from these buildings was tossed from north northwest to south southeast. Other grain bin damage also occurred. The total path length was about a half mile or slightly more.
Multiple rounds of severe winds occurred at the residence. There were very strong winds from the northwest along with south winds from the storm inflow. The most significant damage was done to a machine shop which lost the majority of the roof and walls. Farm machinery was damaged including a seed drill which was rotated and a feed wagon which was rolled onto its side. An old barn was toppled. This damage primarily spread from northwest to southeast. Finally, a small outbuilding was tossed back to the north, likely from the strong southerly inflow winds.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McPherson County, South Dakota?
135 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McPherson County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McPherson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McPherson County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McPherson 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 McPherson County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/mcpherson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.