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Hail in Buffalo County, South Dakota
82 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Buffalo County, South Dakota, has 82 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 33 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 25 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 38 events against 33 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.5% of the 17,011 hail events recorded in South Dakota; its 17.4 per 100 square miles compares with 22.4 statewide.
22 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 4.00 inches (softball size).
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Buffalo County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 82 | 17,011 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 17.4 | 22.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 426.4 | 190.0 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | June | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
11Jun
25Jul
17Aug
20Sep
7Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 82 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2022 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2020 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2020 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2015 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2014 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2014 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2012 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2010 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2010 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2010 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2010 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2010 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2005 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2004 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1988 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1987 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1987 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 1986 | Hail | 4.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 1986 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Aug 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 1984 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 1979 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1977 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 1973 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1969 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1959 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Buffalo County had?
82 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Buffalo County?
15 Jul 2025 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Buffalo County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Buffalo County compare with South Dakota for hail?
17.4 events per 100 square miles against 22.4 statewide; the county holds 82 of the state's 17,011 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.