This Day in Weather History: June 16th

Weather History - June 16th

June 16th, 1915:

A tornado swept over a narrow path in Hughes, Hyde, and Hand counties during the afternoon. This tornado caused several thousands of dollars in property damage and seriously injured many people. Luckily, no fatalities were reported.

June 16th, 1992:

An F3 tornado caused significant destruction as it moved northeast across the northwestern side of Ft. Thompson. The tornado virtually destroyed the Lake Sharpe Visitor Center. In Ft. Thompson, the tornado destroyed at least four homes, and 15 mobile homes were damaged, leaving about 55 persons homeless. Eight people were injured, two of them seriously. The storm also destroyed other buildings, six 50,000-bushel grain bins, and four high-voltage towers from Big Bend Dam. At the Shady Bend Campground, 19 campers and several boats were destroyed.

Also, heavy rains fell over three days beginning on the 15th. The hardest-hit area was Clear Lake, where the three-day total was 11.53 inches. As a result, a wall of water up to 15 feet high swept down creeks in the Clear Lake area. The resultant flash flooding went through the first floors of many houses and even filled basements of homes on hills. In addition, all roads into Clear Lake were cut off as the town became surrounded by water. Officials in Deuel County estimated the heavy rainfall destroyed at least 37 bridges and culverts. Other three-day rainfall totals include 6.35 inches in Conde, 5.99 in Castlewood, 4.91 inches 2NW of Big Stone City, 4.90 in Redfield, and 4.65 inches at Artichoke Lake.

June 16th, 2009:

Severe thunderstorms produced large hail up to 2 inches in diameter, several tornadoes, and flash flooding. Slow-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rains 2 to 4 inches in and around Aberdeen, causing extensive road flooding. Dozens of basements were flooded and damaged, with some sewer backups. There were also some power outages. A tornado touched down briefly northwest of Lebanon in Potter County, with no damage occurring. A tornado touched down southeast of Polo in Hand County in an open field. No damage occurred. Heavy rains of 3 to over 5 inches caused flash flooding of several roads and crops in north-central and northeast Spink County. Torrential rains from 3 to 6 inches fell across southeast Brown County, bringing flash flooding. Many roads were flooded and damaged, along with many acres of cropland. A tornado touched down in southeastern Hand County and remained on the ground for nearly 15 minutes before lifting. No damage occurred with this tornado as it stayed in the open country.

June 16th, 2010:

Powerful winds were observed in Dewey County, South Dakota, during the evening hours. Three weather stations near Lantry observed winds from 101 to 142 mph. One station had recorded a 101 mph wind before it was destroyed. The other two stations recorded 131 mph and 142 mph winds. The winds destroyed an airplane hangar and severely damaged another one. Several semi-trailers were also tipped over and damaged by the very high winds.