South Dakota Storms Produce 131 MPH Wind Gusts as NWS Surveys Damage
- Steve Jurrens
- Jun 29
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Severe thunderstorms swept across South Dakota early Monday morning, June 29, 2026, bringing destructive, hurricane-force winds to the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Aberdeen has released a preliminary summary of the highest wind reports, with peak gusts reaching an astonishing 131 mph.
While the extreme straight-line winds caused substantial impacts, additional severe weather may have occurred. The NWS confirmed that survey teams are currently in the field assessing the destruction, and official tornado information will be released at a later time once those assessments are complete.
Peak Wind Highlights
The public information statement, released by the NWS at 12:28 PM CDT, highlights the extreme intensity of the morning storms. The most severe gusts were concentrated around the Holabird, Highmore, and Ree Heights areas between 5:45 AM and 6:45 AM.
Here is a summary of the strongest wind speeds recorded during Monday morning's thunderstorms:
Location | Wind Speed | Time Recorded |
4 ESE Holabird | 131 MPH | 6:15 AM |
Highmore (SD Mesonet) | 131 MPH | 6:25 AM |
Highmore (SD Mesonet) | 114 MPH | 6:20 AM |
7 NNW Joe Creek Rec Area | 112 MPH | 5:48 AM |
Ree Heights (SDDOT) | 112 MPH | 6:44 AM |
Holabird | 88 MPH | 6:20 AM |
Westport | 88 MPH | 8:33 AM |
5 NE Ree Heights | 87 MPH | 6:45 AM |
Ree Heights (SDDOT) | 84 MPH | 6:34 AM |
Miranda (SDDOT) | 84 MPH | 6:58 AM |
5 NW Redfield | 84 MPH | 7:21 AM |
Note: Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures, including volunteer weather observers and the SD Mesonet. The NWS notes that not all data listed in this initial summary are considered official.
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