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Storms That Hit

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Aberdeen, SD

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Aberdeen, South Dakota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
93

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
6

3 deaths in all

What the records show for Aberdeen

The strongest of the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 23, 2002; its path came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on July 1, 1973, killed 1 person. Of the 93, 15 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 42. The most recent tornado was on July 13, 2025. Aberdeen has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 61 South Dakota cities on this site. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 140 times since 1959, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Aberdeen has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 61 South Dakota cities.

Compare Aberdeen's storm record with another city →

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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Aberdeen

By decade

  • 2020s7
  • 2010s4
  • 2000s14(2 EF3+)
  • 1990s15(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s17
  • 1970s15(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s12(2 EF3+)
  • 1950s9
Strongest tornadoes near Aberdeen, South Dakota
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 23, 2002F415 mi9 mi0 / 0
Jul 1, 1973F315 mi0.3 mi1 / 3
Jun 21, 1961F313 mi156.3 mi1 / 7
Jun 23, 2002F316 mi10 mi0 / 0
May 31, 1996F3in town32 mi0 / 1
Jun 25, 1969F320 mi1.5 mi0 / 6
Jul 31, 1966F22 mi2.3 mi1 / 3
Jul 4, 2020EF217 mi2.66 mi0 / 0
May 22, 2010EF219 mi18.64 mi0 / 0
Jun 15, 1978F210 mi0.1 mi0 / 15
Sep 7, 1961F222 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Jun 28, 1961F26 mi49.7 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Aberdeen

The Storm Prediction Center has 140 hail reports within 10 miles of Aberdeen since 1959, made on 80 separate days. Of these, 97 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 21, 2015. The most recent report is from July 15, 2025. July has the most reports, 42.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Radar-estimated hail days in Aberdeen since 2019 →

Weather by month in Aberdeen

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Aberdeen, SD, 4 miles east of Aberdeen at 1,302 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 24°F and 2°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 179 nights a year. Snowfall averages 42.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 21.8 inches is more than at 18 of the 43 South Dakota stations used on this site (42%). Ipswich, 26 miles west, has its own station (Ipswich, SD): 20.2 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Aberdeen, SD
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan2420.627.8
Feb2960.628.6
Mar42190.926.3
Apr58311.944.2
May70443.360.0
Jun80553.870.0
Jul85603.160.0
Aug83572.240.0
Sep75472.040.0
Oct59332.141.3
Nov43190.726.5
Dec2980.628.0
Year563221.84642.7

Averages for 1991–2020 at Aberdeen, SD (1,302 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

South Dakota weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Aberdeen

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 151 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Aberdeen: 138 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $117,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 101 mph, on July 31, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 59 South Dakota cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 29 have had fewer than Aberdeen.

  • June 16, 2009: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Aberdeen — $100,000 damage.

    NWS: “Slow moving thunderstorms brought very heavy rains of 2 to 4 inches in and around Aberdeen causing extensive road flooding throughout the city. Dozens of basements were flooded and damaged along with some sewer backups.”

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.

Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings

Flood insurance policyholders in Aberdeen's ZIP code 57401 have filed 425 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1997: 52 claims (12% of all) and $267,000. The year with the most claims was 2007, with 165. 14% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 28 South Dakota cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 26 have fewer than Aberdeen.

Flood insurance claims in Aberdeen by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Flooding199752$267,000

Brown County, which includes Aberdeen, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 floods, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 coastal storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Flooding, on July 6, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brown County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $36.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 66 South Dakota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.3 million (31%), is from inland flooding.

Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Aberdeen

All South Dakota cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Aberdeen with another place →

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