KinwarnSouth Dakota tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 379 tornado warnings, 6,317 severe thunderstorm warnings and 270 flash flood warnings for South Dakota from 2016 to 2025, about 38, 632 and 27 a year. That ranks 25th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Day County had the most of any county: 25 tornado warnings.
South Dakota warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for South Dakota…
South Dakota counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day County | 25 | 176 | 1 | 34 |
| Roberts County | 23 | 185 | 2 | 32 |
| Gregory County | 20 | 181 | 13 | 28 |
| Charles Mix County | 19 | 269 | 17 | 47 |
| Brookings County | 19 | 141 | 9 | 35 |
| Clark County | 19 | 116 | 2 | 37 |
| Codington County | 17 | 156 | 4 | 35 |
| Hamlin County | 17 | 120 | 6 | 24 |
| Marshall County | 17 | 120 | 2 | 23 |
| Spink County | 16 | 206 | 2 | 50 |
| McPherson County | 16 | 184 | 3 | 27 |
| Hand County | 15 | 245 | 6 | 45 |
| Brown County | 15 | 225 | 3 | 86 |
| Minnehaha County | 15 | 183 | 27 | 54 |
| McCook County | 15 | 174 | 12 | 46 |
| Kingsbury County | 15 | 150 | 7 | 48 |
| Hutchinson County | 14 | 223 | 18 | 48 |
| Aurora County | 14 | 185 | 11 | 17 |
| Miner County | 14 | 152 | 7 | 40 |
| Grant County | 14 | 151 | 1 | 22 |
| Meade County | 13 | 663 | 10 | 49 |
| Campbell County | 13 | 163 | 1 | 17 |
| Deuel County | 13 | 124 | 5 | 37 |
| Pennington County | 12 | 820 | 21 | 51 |
| Bennett County | 11 | 228 | 2 | 32 |
| Lincoln County | 11 | 179 | 36 | 62 |
| Butte County | 10 | 337 | 5 | 17 |
| Lawrence County | 10 | 332 | 9 | 22 |
| Todd County | 10 | 282 | 5 | 41 |
| Harding County | 10 | 228 | 1 | 22 |
| Davison County | 10 | 162 | 12 | 24 |
| Beadle County | 10 | 159 | 8 | 40 |
| Jackson County | 9 | 352 | 8 | 22 |
| Perkins County | 9 | 315 | 1 | 46 |
| Corson County | 9 | 282 | 9 | 23 |
| Turner County | 9 | 193 | 20 | 48 |
| Lake County | 9 | 151 | 10 | 28 |
| Custer County | 8 | 466 | 9 | 14 |
| Oglala Lakota County | 8 | 389 | 11 | 2 |
| Brule County | 8 | 174 | 13 | 30 |
| Douglas County | 8 | 164 | 8 | 25 |
| Sanborn County | 8 | 145 | 4 | 23 |
| Moody County | 8 | 125 | 9 | 11 |
| Jones County | 7 | 231 | 9 | 8 |
| Bon Homme County | 7 | 145 | 6 | 26 |
| Fall River County | 6 | 274 | 5 | 33 |
| Mellette County | 6 | 269 | 5 | 11 |
| Edmunds County | 6 | 232 | 2 | 31 |
| Hyde County | 6 | 216 | 2 | 15 |
| Tripp County | 6 | 208 | 6 | 38 |
| Faulk County | 6 | 199 | 3 | 22 |
| Hanson County | 6 | 156 | 10 | 21 |
| Union County | 6 | 154 | 29 | 24 |
| Dewey County | 5 | 313 | 11 | 28 |
| Haakon County | 5 | 283 | 9 | 30 |
| Jerauld County | 5 | 120 | 1 | 15 |
| Ziebach County | 4 | 223 | 7 | 24 |
| Walworth County | 4 | 192 | 1 | 30 |
| Yankton County | 4 | 160 | 12 | 29 |
| Lyman County | 3 | 308 | 11 | 43 |
| Potter County | 3 | 190 | 4 | 20 |
| Buffalo County | 3 | 123 | 2 | 17 |
| Stanley County | 2 | 301 | 14 | 23 |
| Hughes County | 2 | 238 | 9 | 17 |
| Sully County | 1 | 212 | 3 | 22 |
| Clay County | 1 | 138 | 17 | 31 |
South Dakota warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
1,965 tornadoes have been recorded in South Dakota since 1950, 10 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 19 people and injured 499. June had the most (778).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 42 | 794 | 22 |
| 2025 | 49 | 785 | 26 |
| 2024 | 35 | 524 | 40 |
| 2023 | 16 | 541 | 14 |
| 2022 | 58 | 704 | 19 |
| 2021 | 31 | 475 | 10 |
| 2020 | 37 | 764 | 24 |
| 2019 | 51 | 635 | 48 |
| 2018 | 30 | 621 | 46 |
| 2017 | 43 | 544 | 10 |
| 2016 | 29 | 724 | 33 |
| 2015 | 52 | 582 | 36 |
| 2014 | 43 | 461 | 57 |
| 2013 | 25 | 627 | 40 |
| 2012 | 20 | 535 | 16 |
| 2011 | 57 | 747 | 67 |
| 2010 | 60 | 687 | 75 |
| 2009 | 91 | 519 | 44 |
| 2008 | 74 | 844 | 40 |
What stands out in South Dakota
2009 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in South Dakota since 2008, with 91 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2010, with 75.
Since 2008, 2 flash flood warnings for South Dakota were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
168 severe thunderstorm warnings for South Dakota carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
The strongest tornado recorded in South Dakota since 1950 was rated F5 on May 8, 1965.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to South Dakota
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
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South Dakota tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does South Dakota get a year?
About 38 a year: the National Weather Service issued 379 tornado warnings for South Dakota from 2016 to 2025, 25th of 52 states and territories.
Which South Dakota county gets the most tornado warnings?
Day County has the most: 25 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Roberts County with 23. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which South Dakota city gets the most tornado warnings?
Brandon has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 4 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in South Dakota?
June and May: 62% of the 1,965 tornadoes recorded in South Dakota since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a South Dakota county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · South Dakota data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “South Dakota tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/south-dakota. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts