374
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$6.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Minnehaha County, South Dakota: 374 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F0. That places the county #262 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Minnehaha County, South Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Minnehaha County is the 2020s, when 91 of the county's 374 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 Minnehaha County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 32.1% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #262 for this hazard and #4 within South Dakota, putting it in the 91.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Minnehaha County with 107 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 12, 1984 | 139 | 2 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 7, 1993 | Dell Rapids and | 70 | 1 | 1 | $500K |
| May 12, 2022 | COLTON | 70 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 12, 2022 | SIOUX FALLS | 65 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 11, 2019 | SOUTH SIOUX FALLS | 78 | 0 | 1 | $750K |
| Jun 24, 2003 | SIOUX FALLS | 61 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jun 25, 1998 | HARTFORD | 61 | 0 | 1 | $200K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2025 | EAST SIOUX FALLS | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | WEST SIOUX FALLS | 57 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | ELLIS | 65 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | ELLIS | 54 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | SOUTH SIOUX FALLS | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | SIOUX FALLS | 65 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | EAST SIOUX FALLS | 53 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | DELL RAPIDS | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | ELLIS | 63 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | HARTFORD | 61 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Minnehaha County
- Hail 494
- Flood 157
- Flash Flood 67
- Tornado 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
High winds destroyed several farm buildings in the Baltic and Dell Rapids area. There were also numerous reports of funnel clouds in the area. The storm was blamed for a two vehicle crash on a road west of Interstate 29 killing one driver and injuring the other. Roads were closed afterwards because of flooding caused by the torrential rains. (M51V)
A thunderstorm wind gust of 81 mph was measured by South Dakota State University mesonet site CTNS2 2 miles east-southeast of Colton. Wind-driven debris went through the windshield of a vehicle and caused the (direct) fatality to the passenger near Colton.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 100 mph caused widespread damage to trees and power lines and damaged several homes. Many trees were blown over or completely uprooted. At least one house was completely destroyed, and others had parts of their roofs blown off. Windows were broken and a large camper was rolled several times and torn apart. Other vehicles were damaged, some severely by garage debris or falling trees. Grandstands at a baseball field were damaged. At least one barn and several silos and smaller structures at area farms were destroyed. The elevator in town was severely damaged. No injuries were reported.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Minnehaha County, South Dakota?
374 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Minnehaha County between 1956 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Minnehaha County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Minnehaha County measured F0.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha County, South Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-dakota/minnehaha-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.