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Overview
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Severe thunderstorms brought large hail, strong winds, and a tornado to western South Dakota on June 19, 2015. Parts of the area were damaged by wind-driven hail, which killed livestock, especially around the Nisland area. Hail around the size of softballs and winds around 100 mph were reported. That storm later produced a relatively long track tornado in southern Meade County, and caused straight-line wind damage to the east-southeast—continuing across central South Dakota. |
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Tornado:
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Tornado - Hereford, SD
Track Map   |
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The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
| EF0 Weak 65-85 mph |
EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph |
EF2 Significant 111-135 mph |
EF3 Severe 136-165 mph |
EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph |
EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph |
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Photos
Storm, Hail, and Damage Photos
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| Supercell near Belle Fourche, SD, as it crossed Highway 212 (photo by Cody Lere) |
Hail damage near Nisland, SD (photo by Natalie Lawrence Johnson) |
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| Softball-sized hail near Nisland, SD, around 815 pm (photo by Natalie Lawrence Johnson) |
Hail damage near Nisland, SD (photo by Natalie Lawrence Johnson) |
Radar
Radar Imagery of the Tornadic Storm near Hereford, SD, at 903 pm MDT
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| Reflectivity (storm intensity) on the left; storm-relative motion (Doppler winds) on the right |
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| Radar-estimated swaths of maximum hail size on 19 June 2015 (yellow is golf ball size; red is baseball size) |
Storm Reports
THE STORM REPORTS LISTED BELOW ARE IN DESCENDING ORDER AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY
BE THE FINAL STORM REPORTS.
A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT AFFECTED THE AREA ON JUNE 19.
HAIL UP TO 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER...WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH AND
AN EF2 TORNADO OCCURRED.
HAIL REPORTS LISTED BY SIZE (INCHES)
SIZE LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
6.00 3 ESE NISLAND SD BUTTE 0820 PM
LARGEST HAIL STONE MEASURED...SOME MELTING
OCCURED BEFORE MEASURMENT...WINDS ESTIMATED
AT 70 MPH...TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR
4.50 2 NNW SAINT ONGE SD LAWRENCE 0825 PM
4.50 4 SW NEWELL SD BUTTE 0820 PM
MULTIPLE WINDOWS BROKEN IN HOUSE
4.50 NISLAND SD BUTTE 0810 PM
SEVERE DAMAGE IN NISLAND AREA. ONE RANCHER
LOST 35 HEAD OF SHEEP. MANY PEOPLE HAVE
SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE... INCLUDING BROKEN
WINDOWS... HOLES IN ROOFS OF HOUSES...
BARNS... AND OUTBUILDINGS. SEVERAL RANCHERS
HAVE LOST LIVESTOCK. MOST VEHICLES LEFT
OUTSIDE HAVE BODY DAMAGE AND BROKEN WINDOWS.
3.00 6 N DOWNTOWN SPEARFISH SD LAWRENCE 0830 PM
2.75 3 S DEERFIELD RESERVOIR SD PENNINGTON 1003 PM
MULTIPLE CAR WINDOWS BROKEN
2.75 2 SW VALE SD MEADE 0830 PM
2.50 2 W NISLAND SD BUTTE 0830 PM
COMBINED WITH WIND GUSTS OF 60-70MPH... 5
WINDOWS WERE BROKEN
2.25 1 E HERMOSA SD CUSTER 1048 PM
REPORT VIA TWITTER
2.00 HILL CITY SD PENNINGTON 1020 PM
REPORT VIA TWITTER
1.75 KEYSTONE SD PENNINGTON 1030 PM
REPORT VIA TWITTER
1.75 6 ENE BELLE FOURCHE RES SD BUTTE 0813 PM
BROKEN WINDOWS
1.75 2 SE COLONY WY CROOK 0710 PM
1.00 2 W HAYWARD SD PENNINGTON 1030 PM
MOSTLY PEA SIZE WITH A FEW QUARTER SIZE HAIL
1.00 1 SSE DEERFIELD RESERVO SD PENNINGTON 1000 PM
1.00 SUNDANCE WY CROOK 0910 PM
ONLY A FEW HAIL STONES... MOSTLY NICKEL SIZE
WITH A FEW QUARTERS
1.00 6 NNW HEREFORD SD MEADE 0910 PM
1.00 6 ENE BELLE FOURCHE RES SD BUTTE 0808 PM
1.00 PINE HAVEN WY CROOK 0627 PM
0.75 WALL SD PENNINGTON 1032 PM
REPORT VIA SPOTTER NETWORK
TSTM WIND REPORTS LISTED BY SPEED (MPH)
SPEED LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
100.00 4 SSW HEREFORD SD MEADE 0903 PM
THUNDERSTORM REAR FLANK DOWNDRAFT WINDS
ESTIMATED AT OVER 100 MPH PRODUCED
SIGNIFICANT UTILITY POLE DAMAGE
89.00 13 NW DOWNTOWN BELLE FO SD BUTTE 0730 PM
81.00 3 E WICKSVILLE SD PENNINGTON 1010 PM
73.00 8 S WALL SD PENNINGTON 1024 PM
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR
70.00 3 ESE NISLAND SD BUTTE 0920 PM
70.00 4 SW NEWELL SD BUTTE 0820 PM
MULTIPLE WINDOWS BROKEN IN HOUSE
70.00 2 SE COLONY WY CROOK 0710 PM
69.00 3 NNW SCENIC SD PENNINGTON 1010 PM
68.00 1 NW NISLAND SD BUTTE 0820 PM
67.00 2 SW BRIDGER SD ZIEBACH 1010 PM
65.00 2 W NISLAND SD BUTTE 0830 PM
ESTIMATED 60-70 MPH WINDS. NEIGHBOR LOST ROOF
OF BARN.
60.00 6 NNW HEREFORD SD MEADE 0910 PM
60.00 8 E WESTON WY CAMPBELL 0825 PM
60.00 1 WNW HULETT WY CROOK 0740 PM
SOME NICKEL SIZE HAIL
55.00 2 E COTTONWOOD SD JACKSON 1045 PM
Environment
NWS Rapid City balloon information showed a very unstable air mass with strong vertical wind shear. The three surface maps (bottom row) show a very moist (dewpoints in the mid 60s to lower 70s) south to southeast flow into west-central South Dakota.
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| Sounding for Rapid City at 6 pm MDT 19 June 2015 (00z the 20th) | Hodograph for Rapid City at 6 pm MDT 19 June 2015 (00z the 20th) |
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| Surface map valid 3 pm MDT 19 June 2015 | Surface map valid 3 pm MDT 19 June 2015 | Surface map valid 9 pm MDT 19 June 2015 |
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