Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pierre, SD

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pierre Regional Airport, SD, 3 miles south of Pierre at 1,742 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 9°F. June is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 0.5 inches; the year adds up to 20.3 inches over 43 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 164 nights a year. Snowfall averages 37.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 20.3 inches is more than at 10 of the 43 South Dakota stations used on this site (23%).

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 139 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pierre: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $212,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 106 mph, on July 29, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 12. Of the 59 South Dakota cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Pierre.

Flood insurance policyholders in Pierre's ZIP code 57501 have filed 63 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $509,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring storms in 2011: 45 claims (71% of all) and $475,000. 73% 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, 18 have fewer than Pierre.