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Tornado in Davison County, South Dakota
24 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.
Davison County, South Dakota, has 24 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 10 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 4 events against 8 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 5.5 per 100 square miles compares with 2.6 statewide.
By rating: 12 at (E)F0, 3 at (E)F1, 6 at (E)F2, 3 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with South Dakota
| Measure | Davison County | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 24 | 1,947 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 12.1 | 21.7 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 19 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
9Jun
10Jul
0Aug
3Sep
0Oct
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 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2003 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 1985 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1985 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 Jun 1968 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 1962 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 32 | County |
| 14 May 1962 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 Apr 1962 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1954 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 7 Jun 1953 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Davison County had?
24 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 Davison County?
10 May 2015 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Davison County?
The tornado of 21 May 1962, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Davison County compare with South Dakota for tornado?
5.5 events per 100 square miles against 2.6 statewide; the county holds 24 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.