Perkins County, South Dakota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 46105 · population 2,834 · 2,870 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,026 records for Perkins County, South Dakota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 586 days; the most frequent are hail reports (337 records). The most damaging was the March 23, 2009 blizzard ($5.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1976, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding” on June 7, 2019.
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
- 1,026on 586 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 04 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 45strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2020
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 Perkins County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 337 since 1957. 68% of its hail reports since 1957 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 | 337 | 181 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | 63 of 66 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 310 | 167 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | 64 of 66 |
| High wind and dust storms | 160 | 152 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $96K | 46 of 66 |
| Winter storms | 122 | 116 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.7M | 64 of 66 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 24 | 1957-2023 | 0 | 4 | $3.5M | 58 of 66 |
| Floods | 30 | 27 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 64 of 66 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 11 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 66 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2001-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 66 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 66 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 66 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 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 Perkins County had?
NOAA records 45 tornadoes in Perkins County from 1957 to 2023, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries 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 46 tornadoes whose track touched Perkins County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 45: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Dakota.
Every tornado record filed for Perkins County (45)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-21 | Lemmon, Perkins County | EF0 1.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-23 | Meadow, Perkins County | EFU 4.26 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-23 | Usta, Perkins County | EFU 2.13 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-21 | Meadow, Perkins County | EF0 0.01 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-21 | Lodgepole, Perkins County | EF0 2.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-21 | Meadow, Perkins County | EF0 2.58 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-21 | Bison, Perkins County | EF0 2.97 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-21 | Lodgepole, Perkins County | EF0 5.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-24 | Shadehill, Perkins County | EF0 0.05 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $677 |
| 2010-05-24 | Usta, Perkins County | EF2 22.85 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2010-05-24 | Meadow, Perkins County | EF2 8.23 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2003-05-03 | Bison, Perkins County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-30 | Lemmon, Perkins County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-13 | W Of Usta, Perkins County | F0 0.5 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 3 | $102K |
| 1992-07-06 | Perkins County | F1 1.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1991-05-14 | Perkins County | F1 0.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-07-18 | Perkins County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-07-18 | Perkins County | F2 10.5 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-04 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-06-30 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-06-15 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-06-06 | Perkins County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1973-06-02 | Perkins County | F1 0.9 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-05-25 | Perkins County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-25 | Perkins County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-08-12 | Perkins County | F2 6.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1969-07-17 | Perkins County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-06-20 | Perkins County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-05-23 | Perkins County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-08-01 | Perkins County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-06-21 | Perkins County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-06-14 | Perkins County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-06-03 | Perkins County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Perkins County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 22, 2019 flood ($289,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding upstream of Shadehill Reservoir and along the Moreau River. Date Road south of SD Highway 20 was closed, Rabbit Creek covered a couple of county roads, a culvert on Zeona Road was washed out, and county roads C5 and C1 were inundated with water.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 831064)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindPrairie City, Perkins County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-21 | High WindPerkins County · forecast zone Northern Perkins | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindPerkins County · forecast zone Northern Perkins | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindPerkins County · forecast zone Northern Perkins | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindPerkins County · forecast zone Northern Perkins | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-18 | High WindPerkins County · forecast zone Northern Perkins | 79 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-01 | HailUsta, Perkins County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindUsta, Perkins County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindUsta, Perkins County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-20 | HailLodgepole, Perkins County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-20 | Thunderstorm WindShadehill, Perkins County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-20 | HailLodgepole, Perkins County | 1.25 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-08-13 | TornadoW Of Usta, Perkins County A tornado picked up a mobile home and turned it upside down, destroying the trailer. Three people inside the mobile home received minor bruises. Structures beside the mobile were untouched by the storm. | F0 0.5 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 3 | $102K |
| 1969-08-12 | TornadoPerkins County | F2 6.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-23 | BlizzardPerkins County · forecast zone Perkins | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 1999-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindLemmon, Perkins County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2009-07-08 | HailLemmon, Perkins County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2010-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindLemmon, Perkins County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2009-03-30 | BlizzardPerkins County · forecast zone Perkins | 0 | 0 | $963K | |
| 2005-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindBison, Perkins County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 2000-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindLodgepole, Perkins County | 0 | 0 | $471K | |
| 2013-05-25 | HailLemmon, Perkins County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $380K |
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: June 6, 1978 (tornado, Perkins County); May 14, 1991 (tornado, Perkins County); July 6, 1992 (tornado, Perkins 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 Perkins 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 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 106 | 129 | 59 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 63 | 144 | 73 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 51 | 51 | 46 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 34 | 37 | 31 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 21 | 1 |
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 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 43 · Feb 43 · Mar 42 · Apr 34 · May 89 · Jun 232 · Jul 268 · Aug 119 · Sep 44 · Oct 32 · Nov 36 · Dec 44 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Perkins County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Perkins County: 18 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4527 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3475 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-06-07 | DR-4440 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, 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 |
| 2010-07-29 | DR-1929 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2010-05-13 | DR-1914 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-03-10 | DR-1887 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010-03-09 | DR-1886 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Perkins County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perkins County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $216K | once in about 834 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $92K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 8.6 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $71K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $193K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $202K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $5K | 52 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Very Low | $100 | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Perkins 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 Perkins CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Perkins County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis