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NOUS43 KABR 031847 AAC
PNSABR
SDZ023-040700-
Public Information Statement...UPDATED
National Weather Service Aberdeen SD
147 PM CDT Thu Jul 3 2025
...NWS Damage Survey for 06/28/2025 Tornado Event Update #3...
Additional information relayed to the National Weather Service in
Aberdeen has allowed for further fine tuning of the EF3 tornado
track. The length of the tornado track has increased and is now
estimated to be 9.71 miles.
.Tornado #1 - Northwest of Clear Lake, SD...
Rating: EF-2
Estimated Peak Wind: 115-125 mph
Path Length /statute/: 3.43 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 60 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: June 28, 2025
Start Time: 6:53 PM CDT
Start Location: 5.2 miles northwest of Clear Lake, SD
Start Lat/Lon: 44.7956 / -96.7694
End Date: June 28, 2025
End Time: 7:08 PM CDT
End Location: 2.4 miles southwest of Altamont, SD
End Lat/Lon: 44.8345 / -96.7388
At approximately 6:53 p.m. on June 28, 2025, a tornado touched down
in a field about five miles northwest of Clear Lake, just south
of an unoccupied farmstead. While no full-time residents lived on the
property, the house was still used intermittently as a family cabin.
As the tornado approached, it first tore through an expansive shelterbelt,
snapping and uprooting numerous trees as it closed in on the property.
The tornado then flipped a shipping container used for storage including
lawnmowers, grills, and outdoor furniture. A nearby shed was completely
destroyed, and an empty concrete stave silo was toppled. When the tornado
reached the house, the winds were powerful enough to shift the structure
entirely off its century-old foundation. Significant tree damage continued
on the north side of the property as the tornado moved through the
remaining shelterbelt.
From there, the tornado tracked northeast, snapping more trees as it
crossed 178th street. It continued north northeast crossing both 177th
and 176th streets near Lake Coteau. Eyewitnesses near Lake Coteau reported
seeing the tornado as well as damage that included twisted road signs.
The tornado lifted around 7:08 p.m., ending a 15-minute path that stretched
approximately 3.4 miles.
.Tornado #2 - West of Gary, SD...
Rating: EF-0
Estimated Peak Wind: 65-75 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.16 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 10 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: June 28, 2025
Start Time: 7:34 PM CDT
Start Location: 2.25 miles west of Gary, SD
Start Lat/Lon: 44.789 / -96.5037
End Date: June 28, 2025
End Time: 7:37 PM CDT
End Location: 2.25 miles west of Gary, SD
End Lat/Lon: 44.7894 / -96.5004
A brief, short lived tornado touched down in an open field. Eyewitnesses
reported branches from nearby trees being broken and tossed.
.Tornado #3 - Southwest of Gary, SD...
Rating: EF-3
Estimated Peak Wind: 155-165 mph
Path Length /statute/: 9.71 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 100 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 2
Start Date: June 28, 2025
Start Time: 8:10 PM CDT
Start Location: 2.5 miles east of Clear Lake, SD
Start Lat/Lon: 44.7535 / -96.6318
End Date: June 28, 2025
End Time: 8:49 PM CDT
End Location: 2.4 miles southwest of Gary, SD
End Lat/Lon: 44.7780 / -96.5026
A tornado developed east of Clear Lake, South Dakota, on the evening
of June 28, 2025. Around 8:10 p.m., the tornado was still in a
disorganized stage but was strong enough to intermittently touch
down, rip a roof and door of of a barn and flip irrigation pivots
on the north side of Highway 22 about two and a half miles east of
Clear Lake.
By approximately 8:14 p.m., the tornado crossed to the south side of
Highway 22 and began to intensify. From there, it tracked slowly eastward,
frequently changing appearance. Numerous reports, photos, and videos
captured the tornado "shapeshifting," including a distinct wobble or
dancing motion. During this time, the tornado passed over a gravel
pit, where large trees were snapped and windows were broken out of
heavy machinery.
Continuing east, the tornado reached 483rd Avenue, where it caused additional
tree damage. Around 8:26 to 8:27 p.m., it crossed back to the
north side of Highway 22, briefly stalled, and brought down a power
pole.
The tornado then picked up speed and continued east toward a farmstead
on 484th Avenue, arriving around 8:31 p.m. The core of the tornado passed
just north of the main house, but the property still sustained significant
damage. A portion of the house roof panels were ripped off and windows
were broke out. A machine shed was completely destroyed, along with
a garage and another outbuilding. The shelterbelt on the north side
of the property was heavily damaged, with tree trunks snapped, trees
uprooted, and large branches broken.
Around 8:32 p.m., the tornado continued east, passing north of another
farmstead where a single shed was destroyed. Then, at approximately
8:34 p.m., the tornado directly struck a farmstead. Evidence of
ground scouring was visible in the field before the tornado
reached the property. As it approached, it tore through a wide
shelterbelt, snapping and uprooting trees and completely blocking
the driveway with debris.
The house, which included the original structure which was over a
century old combined with a newer addition, was completely wiped
from its foundation. The debris was thrown west and north. The
residents sheltered in the basement, where hay bales were lofted
into the air and landed on top of them. Despite the extreme
damage, only two non-life-threatening injuries were reported.
A garage and machine shed just north of the house were also completely
swept off their slabs. Vehicles inside were lofted, with two ending
up wedged in trees approximately 50 to 60 yards northeast of where
the garage once stood. A horse trailer and other farm equipment were
also thrown into the shelterbelt. Another vehicle, a half-ton Chevy
Silverado pickup, was hurled nearly 300 yards northeast. The truck`s
rear axle was torn completely off during flight, with no evidence of
the vehicle rolling or tumbling until it hit the ground.
On the south side of the property, two empty metal grain bins were wiped
clean from their foundations. A concrete foundation barn was dismantled,
a pole barn collapsed, and an empty concrete silo was completely swept
from its slab.
As the track continued northeast, fence posts were sheared off at ground
level, and large pieces of debris were driven into the crop ground with
extreme force. A track of debris was scattered into the adjacent fields.
The tornado track turned more north northeast as it crossed 181st Street.
More tree damage was observed, with trunks snapped and large
branches down. Debris was caught in fence lines, and hay was seen hanging
from power lines in the area.
The tornado crossed 180th street and somewhere around 8:45 p.m.
and began to rope out, swirling over an open field and tracking back
to the southwest. It finally lifted around 8:49 p.m., concluding a
nearly 40-minute track that stretched roughly 9.71 miles.
EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:
EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph
NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS
Storm Data.
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