Butte County, South Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 46019 · population 10,241 · 2,250 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 966 records for Butte County, South Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 579 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (322 records). The deadliest single record is the June 17, 2014 flash flood: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1965, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on August 2, 2022.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 966on 579 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 114 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $30Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2022
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Butte County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 322 since 1979. 70% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1979 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among South Dakota's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 322 | 167 | 1979-2026 | 0 | 6 | $2.1M | 56 of 66 |
| Hail | 310 | 172 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 6 | $7.5M | 60 of 66 |
| Winter storms | 137 | 135 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 61 of 66 |
| High wind and dust storms | 132 | 126 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $255K | 44 of 66 |
| Floods | 26 | 20 | 1996-2020 | 1 | 1 | $4.3M | 65 of 66 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 14 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 1 | $2.7M | 65 of 66 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 11 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 66 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 6 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 66 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 66 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 66 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 66 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Butte County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Butte County from 1955 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 17 tornadoes whose track touched Butte County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-07-18 19:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Butte County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-06 | Hoover, Butte County | EFU 10.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-06 | Hoover, Butte County | EFU 3.45 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-07-23 | Castle Rock, Butte County | EF0 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-01 | Nisland, Butte County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-15 | Belle Fourche, Butte County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-13 | Newell, Butte County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 1993-08-13 | Belle, Butte County | F0 0.2 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $204 |
| 1992-06-13 | Butte County | F0 7 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-09-24 | Butte County | F1 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-07-02 | Butte County | F0 3.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-07-26 | Butte County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1975-06-25 | Butte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-06-25 | Butte County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-07-18 | Butte County | F3 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-05-10 | Butte County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1957-07-14 | Butte County | F1 | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1955-09-20 | Butte County | F2 1.3 mi x 177 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Butte County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 13, 2024 thunderstorm wind ($19,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Many trees were damaged and snapped off. Barn roof was partially torn off. Stockade damage.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1195097)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHoover, Butte County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCastle Rock, Butte County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindBelle Fourche Airport, Butte County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindNewell, Butte County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-02 | Funnel CloudNisland, Butte County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-21 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 71 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 71 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindButte County · forecast zone Butte | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-06-17 | Flash FloodCastle Rock, Butte County Battle Creek flooded US Highway 85 north of Belle Fourche. A vehicle was swept away by the flowing water; one person had minor injuries but walked to the highway, the other was not found and is presumed dead. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindBelle Fourche, Butte County A strong thunderstorm moved from the southwest to the northeast across southwestern Butte County. This storm exhibited very subtle bowing, but otherwise there was little to note about it's structure. Damage from this storm was limited to a residential mobile and modular home area perched on a broad hill. The homes ... | 78 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $355K |
| 1998-07-05 | HailBelle Fourche, Butte County NEARLY EVERY HOME, BUSINESS AND VECHICLE IN THE CITY WAS BADLY DAMAGED. | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 3 | $5.4M |
| 2001-07-23 | HailBelle Fourche, Butte County A strong thunderstorm moved from the southwest to the northeast across southwestern Butte County. This storm exhibited very subtle bowing, but otherwise there was little to note about it's structure. Damage from this storm was limited to a residential mobile and modular home area perched on a broad hill. The homes ... | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2016-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindNewell, Butte County A pickup truck pulling a horse trailer were blown off Highway 212, injuring one person. A nearby ranch sustained damage to a barn and chimney, a travel trailer was tipped over, and an outbuilding was destroyed. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2010-07-19 | HailCastle Rock, Butte County Large hail broke the windows of a pickup and injured a small child. | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 1 | $4K |
| 1957-07-14 | TornadoButte County | F1 | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-23 | BlizzardButte County · forecast zone Butte | 0 | 0 | $9.6M | |
| 1998-07-05 | HailBelle Fourche, Butte County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 3 | $5.4M |
| 2008-06-05 | FloodCastle Rock, Butte County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2011-08-07 | HailBelle Fourche, Butte County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1994-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindButte County | 0 | 0 | $796K | |
| 2010-07-19 | HailCastle Rock, Butte County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $508K |
| 2001-07-23 | Thunderstorm WindBelle Fourche, Butte County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $355K |
| 2013-06-01 | FloodBelle Fourche, Butte County | 0 | 0 | $253K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 18, 1963 (tornado, Butte County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Butte County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 65 | 121 | 99 |
| Hail | 8 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 88 | 112 | 62 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 26 | 37 | 46 | 28 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 42 | 36 | 43 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 7 | 15 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
70% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1979 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 36 · Mar 48 · Apr 40 · May 75 · Jun 243 · Jul 217 · Aug 130 · Sep 28 · Oct 27 · Nov 31 · Dec 51 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Butte County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Butte County: 19 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-02 | DR-4664 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4527 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3475 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-10-07 | DR-4467 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2019-09-23 | DR-4463 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2017-02-01 | DR-4298 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2014-07-28 | DR-4186 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2013-11-08 | DR-4155 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-13 | DR-1984 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009-06-16 | DR-1844 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-12-12 | DR-1811 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2008-07-09 | DR-1774 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-05-22 | DR-1759 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2006-06-05 | DR-1647 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3234 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1997-04-07 | DR-1173 | Flood | Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,Heavy Rains High Winds |
| 1997-02-28 | DR-1161 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1997-01-10 | DR-1156 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Blizzard Conditions |
| 1995-05-26 | DR-1052 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1976-06-25 | DR-511 | Flood | Flash Flooding & Mudslides |
| 1965-05-26 | DR-197 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Butte County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 26 flood or flash flood records for Butte County from 1996 to 2020, on 20 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Butte County ranks 2262nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14,000 on 13 claims filed in Butte County; the most in one year was 6 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 3 · 1995: 3 · 2008: 6 · 2011: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Butte County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Butte County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $686K | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $125K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $865K | once in about 291 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.5M | 6.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $522K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $106K | 36 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $3.9M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $391 | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Butte County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in South DakotaEvery South Dakota tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in South DakotaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The South Dakota recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Butte CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Butte County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis