Severe Storms Wreak Havoc Across South Dakota On Rodeo Night

Saturday night was a wild one in South Dakota! It all started out west near Rapid City, where a small but intense storm began moving southeast toward the Kadoka area. Here's the first interesting part of the evening. There was even a rodeo going on in Kadoka. The weather that was about to roll through was about to add the real meaning of Wild and Western to the evening.

The storm brought some large hail to the Kadoka area. Some Facebook posts mentioned hail up to 4 plus inches. One farm in the area was badly damaged by the storm.

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That was just the Western South Dakota part of the Saturday night Weather Story. Later in the evening, storms were popping up and warming up for their show in  the Clear Lake and Gary areas. Over there, people were getting ready for the Crystal Springs Rodeo when the weather turned dangerous.

A tornado touched down near Gary and stayed on the ground for what seemed like an eternity. The Storm traveled for several miles, mostly across fields and open pasture areas and caused damage along the way. It was a powerful and and impressive storm.

Here's where things have changed. Back in the day, you'd hear stories of what people saw and what it sounded like. Now days it's different with storm chasers. Storm chaser crews from around the nation were out watching the weather and sharing live videos through a weather app called Max Velocity. Thanks to improved cell service and technology, people could see the storms happening in real time, even in remote parts of South Dakota.

My observation from the evening was this: times are changing. Technology has crept it's way into the weather reporting world with 'at times' a real time look at what's going on with particular storms. There is nothing more amazing, impressive and destructive than a tornado making it's way across an area.

If you live in South Dakota, it’s a good idea to consider an apps like Max Velocity to help you stay safe. It's also a way to monitor what might be happening where you have friends or relatives living. You can watch live updates, track storms, and know when to take cover.

Storms can pop up quickly in the summer, so it’s smart to be prepared. Last night was a reminder that South Dakota weather can be wild—so always stay alert and ready! The video was used courtesy of Texas Storm Chasers.