NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Garretson, 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 Garretson, South Dakota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Garretson
The strongest of the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 7, 1993; its path came within 18 miles. Of the 96, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 35. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2022. Garretson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 61 South Dakota cities on this site. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1956, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 61 South Dakota cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Garretson.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Garretson
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s10
- 2000s17
- 1990s26(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s13
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 1993 | F4 | 18 mi | 54 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 7, 1993 | F3 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1985 | F3 | 25 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 19, 1954 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | EF2 | 20 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 10, 2019 | EF2 | 20 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jun 5, 2008 | EF2 | 10 mi | 2.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1993 | F2 | 15 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1993 | F2 | 16 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1992 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1992 | F2 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Garretson
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Garretson since 1956, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 9 days, most recently June 5, 2014. The most recent report is from June 11, 2025. June has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Garretson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD, 4 miles west of Garretson at 1,594 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 24°F and 6°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.7 inches; the year adds up to 29.7 inches over 55 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 163 nights a year. That 29.7 inches is more than at 41 of the 43 South Dakota stations used on this site (95%). Brandon, 10 miles south, has its own station (Sioux Falls, SD): 27.8 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 6 | 0.7 | 2 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 0.9 | 3 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.3 | 6 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 2.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.3 | 2 |
| Dec | 29 | 12 | 0.9 | 3 |
| Year | 55 | 35 | 29.7 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD (1,594 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 Garretson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Garretson: 44 floods, 37 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $18.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 22, 2015. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 59 South Dakota cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 20 have had fewer than Garretson.
June 1, 2019: flood 9 miles from the centre of Garretson — $13.2 million damage.
NWS: “During crop planting season, prolonged flooding led to the loss of or inability to plant crops across the area. Crop loss estimates provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.”
June 22, 2015: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Garretson — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds estimated at 100 mph caused widespread damage to trees and power lines and damaged several homes. Many trees were blown over or completely uprooted.”
August 3, 2004: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Garretson — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds severely damaged a large metal framed storage building, destroyed a 50 thousand bushel grain elevator, and destroyed the press box at a football field. the winds also severely damaged a large recreational building, blew down road signs, and damaged siding and roofs.”
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
Minnehaha County, which includes Garretson, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 coastal storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding, on August 15, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Minnehaha County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $103.7 million a year, the highest of 66 South Dakota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $36.0 million (35%), is from tornadoes.
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 Garretson
- Baltic, SD10 mi
- Brandon, SD10 mi
- Dell Rapids, SD11 mi
- Luverne, MN17 mi
- Sioux Falls, SD17 mi
- Larchwood, IA20 mi
- Flandreau, SD22 mi
- Hartford, SD22 mi
- Pipestone, MN23 mi
- Harrisburg, SD23 mi
- Tea, SD25 mi
- Rock Rapids, IA28 mi
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