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South Dakota · County tornado history

Kingsbury County, South Dakota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 48 tornadoes in Kingsbury County, South Dakota from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 8 of 66 counties in South Dakota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on August 10, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
48
Since 2000
26
Strongest
F4, June 24, 2003
Most recent
EF-U, August 10, 2023
Peak month
June (22)
Per 1,000 sq mi
56
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Kingsbury County

June has brought the most, 22 of 48. About 73% touched down between 5 pm and 11 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 26
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 1
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 4

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Kingsbury County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 24, 2003 F4 10 mi 1,000 yd 4
June 21, 1961 F3 156.3 mi 10 yd 1 7
June 16, 1992 F3 4 mi 100 yd
June 24, 2003 F2 2.2 mi 200 yd
May 16, 1962 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
August 14, 1966 F1 6.6 mi 10 yd
April 30, 1967 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
July 19, 1976 F1 1.9 mi 10 yd
September 24, 1977 F1 21.3 mi 20 yd
June 5, 1984 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Kingsbury County was an F3 on June 21, 1961. It killed 1 person and injured 7 along its 156.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 10, 2023 EF-U 1.1 mi 25 yd
August 10, 2023 EF-U 0.6 mi 25 yd
June 20, 2022 EF-U 0 mi 10 yd
June 20, 2022 EF1 3.6 mi 50 yd
August 28, 2020 EF1 0.6 mi 25 yd
August 28, 2020 EF-U 0.4 mi 25 yd
June 21, 2013 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
June 21, 2013 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Kingsbury County as relatively low, with a score of 34 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.51 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,061,532 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Kingsbury County had?

48 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 26 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Kingsbury County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on August 10, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Kingsbury County?

An F4 on June 24, 2003, with a 10-mile path.

When is tornado season in Kingsbury County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.