States › South Dakota › Corson County › Tornado
Tornado in Corson County, South Dakota
23 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
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.
Corson County, South Dakota, has 23 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 6 events against 3 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.2% of the 1,947 tornado events recorded in South Dakota; its 0.9 per 100 square miles compares with 2.6 statewide.
By rating: 19 at (E)F0, 0 at (E)F1, 1 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 3 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Corson County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 23 | 1,947 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.9 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 59.4 | 21.7 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 19 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
3Jun
9Jul
3Aug
5Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2025 | Tornado | EF unrated | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1979 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 1979 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1977 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1977 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 1966 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 1965 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1955 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 19 Apr 1955 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1953 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Corson County had?
23 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Corson County?
14 Sep 2025 (Tornado, EF unrated). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Corson County?
The tornado of 29 May 1953, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $250K.
How does Corson County compare with South Dakota for tornado?
0.9 events per 100 square miles against 2.6 statewide; the county holds 23 of the state's 1,947 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 Tornado hub and the county page.