NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chamberlain, 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 Chamberlain, South Dakota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Chamberlain
The highest rating among the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 16, 1992, came within 20 miles. Of the 63, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2025. Of the 61 South Dakota cities on this site, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Chamberlain. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 97 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 61 South Dakota cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Chamberlain.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Chamberlain
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s4
- 2000s5
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s26
- 1970s9(2 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jul 24, 1971 | F3 | 1 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 28, 1986 | F2 | 15 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1973 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 20, 1968 | F2 | 14 mi | 33.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1965 | F2 | 4 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 10, 1954 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2018 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2007 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1993 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1993 | F1 | 18 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chamberlain
The Storm Prediction Center has 97 hail reports within 10 miles of Chamberlain since 1958, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 69 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 6, 2019. The most recent report is from August 14, 2024. July has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chamberlain
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Chamberlain Municipal Airport, SD, 1 mile southwest of Chamberlain at 1,703 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 11°F. June is the wettest at 3.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.4 inches; the year adds up to 20.4 inches over 39 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 157 nights a year. That 20.4 inches is more than at 11 of the 43 South Dakota stations used on this site (26%). Platte, 31 miles southeast, has its own station (Academy 2NE, SD): 23.9 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 11 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Feb | 35 | 14 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Mar | 47 | 25 | 1.1 | 3 |
| Apr | 59 | 35 | 2.3 | 5 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 63 | 2.2 | 3 |
| Aug | 86 | 61 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Sep | 77 | 51 | 2.1 | 4 |
| Oct | 62 | 38 | 1.6 | 3 |
| Nov | 46 | 25 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Dec | 34 | 15 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Year | 60 | 37 | 20.4 | 39 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Chamberlain Municipal Airport, SD (1,703 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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Chamberlain
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chamberlain: 101 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 floods and 7 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 18, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 7. Of the 59 South Dakota cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 29 have had fewer than Chamberlain.
June 20, 2015: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Chamberlain — $700,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds severely damaged a large greenhouse and produce inside the greenhouse. The winds also blew down several large trees.”
June 24, 2002: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Chamberlain — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including some trees blown down. The winds also damaged signs, fences and roofs, and blew many loose items around.”
July 21, 1996: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Chamberlain — $150,000 damage.
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
Brule County, which includes Chamberlain, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 7 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, on August 15, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brule County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.2 million a year, the 11th highest of 66 South Dakota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.2 million (16%), 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 Chamberlain
- Platte, SD31 mi
- Winner, SD48 mi
- Lake Andes, SD59 mi
- Mitchell, SD63 mi
- Pierre, SD66 mi
- Fort Pierre, SD68 mi
- Huron, SD68 mi
- Wagner, SD71 mi
- Parkston, SD73 mi
- Mission, SD77 mi
- Redfield, SD84 mi
- Atkinson, NE85 mi
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