Clark County, South Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 46025 · population 3,828 · 958 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 678 records for Clark County, South Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 483 days; the most frequent are hail reports (234 records). The deadliest single record is the June 21, 1961 tornado: 1 death and 7 injuries. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1976, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on July 6, 2023.
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
- 678on 483 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 416 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $36Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2023
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 Clark County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 234 since 1963. 68% of its hail reports since 1963 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 234 | 137 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 18 of 66 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 131 | 90 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 1 | $34K | 45 of 66 |
| Winter storms | 131 | 131 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | $50K | 33 of 66 |
| Extreme cold | 42 | 41 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 66 |
| High wind and dust storms | 40 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $19K | 61 of 66 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 27 | 1953-2023 | 1 | 9 | $15M | 23 of 66 |
| Floods | 27 | 24 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 34 of 66 |
| Drought | 20 | 20 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 66 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 66 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 3 | 2015-2021 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 of 66 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 1 | 4 | – | 21 of 66 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 34 of 66 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 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 Clark County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Clark County from 1953 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 23rd of 66 South Dakota counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 37 tornadoes whose track touched Clark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-06-21 14:30, as SPC files it | Castlewood | F3 | 156.3 mi | 1 |
| 1984-05-12 18:10, as SPC files it | Clark | F3 | 27 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Clark County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-10 | Willow Lake, Clark County | EF0 0.89 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-06-07 | Clark Co Airport, Clark County | EF0 0.01 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Raymond, Clark County | EF0 0.02 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Elrod, Clark County | EF0 0.32 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Garden City, Clark County | EF1 0.49 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-19 | Bradley, Clark County | EF0 0.11 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-19 | Clark County | EF0 0.08 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-07-16 | Clark County | EF0 0.06 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-21 | Carpenter, Clark County | EF0 0.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-21 | Carpenter, Clark County | EF0 2.34 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-01 | Willow Lake, Clark County | EF0 0.62 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-01 | Willow Lake, Clark County | EF0 0.54 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-01 | Raymond, Clark County | EF0 2.38 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-16 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-09-16 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-24 | Willow Lake, Clark County | F1 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-18 | Willow Lake, Clark County | F0 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-15 | Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1991-08-16 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-07-17 | Clark County | F1 0.2 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-06-05 | Clark County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-05-12 | Clark County | F3 14 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-07-20 | Clark County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1977-07-10 | Clark County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1972-06-19 | Clark County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-05-28 | Clark County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1967-04-16 | Clark County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-06-08 | Clark County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-06-08 | Clark County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964-06-08 | Clark County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-07-26 | Clark County | F2 1 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-07-07 | Clark County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-06-21 | Clark County | F3 37.1 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 7 | $250K step |
| 1960-05-31 | Clark County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-29 | Clark County | F2 1.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-05-09 | Clark County | F1 6.8 mi x 97 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Clark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 9, 2025 lightning ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | HailWillow Lake, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-28 | Heavy SnowClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | BlizzardClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-09 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-28 | Heavy SnowClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-04 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindWillow Lake, Clark County | 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-06-21 | TornadoClark County | F3 37.1 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 7 | $250K step |
| 2021-07-08 | Heavy RainClark County Low visibility from heavy rain and fog contributed to the collision of two boats on Indian Springs Lake, southeast of Clark, resulting in one fatality and four injuries. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2014-04-16 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark Heavy snow on the roads along with visibility reduction contributed to a fatal accident 20 miles west of Watertown on U.S. Highway 212. The driver was eastbound on the wrong side of the road (westbound lane) when he approached a westbound snowplow. He swerved to miss the snowplow and lost control of his vehicle. As ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-02-03 | Dense FogClark County · forecast zone Clark A Hitchcock South Dakota man became disoriented in dense fog Tuesday night, February 2nd while driving a snowmobile four miles north of Willow Lake in Clark county. The man had gone ice fishing and was reported missing at 6 am on Wednesday, February 3rd. The man drove his snowmobile into open water on the north side ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1982-07-20 | TornadoClark County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2010-08-30 | Thunderstorm WindClark County Seventy mph winds blew a semi off of Highway 212. The semi suffered extensive damage with the driver receiving minor injuries. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-01 | FloodCrocker, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2001-04-07 | FloodClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | $533K | |
| 1998-05-11 | FloodClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | $471K | |
| 2025-07-09 | LightningClark County | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 12, 1984 (tornado, Clark 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 Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 | 41 | 96 | 44 | 20 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 21 | 34 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 30 | 56 | 27 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 20 | 14 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 8 | 20 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
68% of its hail reports since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 43 · Feb 38 · Mar 39 · Apr 37 · May 67 · Jun 134 · Jul 151 · Aug 61 · Sep 23 · Oct 11 · Nov 25 · Dec 49 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clark County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Clark County: 19 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (9) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-06 | DR-4718 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2023-02-27 | DR-4689 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4527 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3475 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-11-18 | DR-4469 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2019-06-07 | DR-4440 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding |
| 2017-02-01 | DR-4298 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-05-13 | DR-1984 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-05-13 | DR-1915 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2007-05-22 | DR-1702 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-12-20 | DR-1620 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3234 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-17 | DR-1375 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams |
| 1998-06-01 | DR-1218 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms, Tornadoes |
| 1997-04-07 | DR-1173 | Flood | Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,Heavy Rains High Winds |
| 1997-01-10 | DR-1156 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Blizzard Conditions |
| 1996-01-05 | DR-1075 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1995-05-26 | DR-1052 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1994-06-21 | DR-1031 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-07-19 | DR-999 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1986-05-03 | DR-764 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3015 | Drought | Drought |
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 Clark County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Clark County from 1997 to 2025, on 24 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clark County ranks 2212th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $193,000 on 15 claims filed in Clark County; the most in one year was 4 in 1999. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 4 · 2001: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2019: 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 Clark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.8M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $445K | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $130K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $67K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $74K | once in about 1,057 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $436K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $183 | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $62K | 3.2 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clark 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
- Hail in South DakotaThe state's hail reports, 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 Clark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis