This Day in Weather History: May 25th

Weather History - May 25th

May 25th, 1880:

An estimated F2 tornado moved northeast through the town of Mitchell. Two men were killed when they ran out the back door of a saloon to reach the cellar entrance. The caulk stone saloon, two homes, and several businesses were destroyed. This tornado was one of the first significant tornadoes on record for South Dakota.

May 25th, 1985:

During the afternoon, thunderstorms developed along the east side of the Black Hills. The storms produced quite a bit of lightning and, over 2 hours, started 18 small fires in the Black Hills. Fortunately, most of the fires were small and quickly contained. One unfortunate firefighter was struck by lightning as he was helping to extinguish a blaze that burned some 50 acres of grassland and forest. Thankfully, the man lived, but he did suffer several broken bones, burns, and major damage to his ears. The strike was so powerful that a man over 150 feet away was dropped to his knees.