Tropical Storm Karen Has Formed East of the Windward Islands
Lorena Moisture to Impact Southwest
Warmer Than Average Weather Predicted in the October Outlook
Heroes Save Hundreds of Lives During Imelda
When to Catch a Fantastic Fall Foliage Display
Imelda's Flood Threat Now Moves North
All Weather News

Cleanup Underway after Tornadoes and 100 mph Winds Hit Sioux Falls

11 Sep 2019, 12:46 pm

[Storm damage in Sioux Falls, SD. Drone video from the City of Sioux Falls]

Strong wind gusts and possibly multiple tornado touchdowns hit Sioux Falls, South Dakota late Tuesday night. Mayor Paul TenHaken said in a morning press conference that damage was extensive, but no major injuries or deaths have been reported.

The National Weather Service is conducting a damage survey that so far concluded there were three EF-2 tornado touchdowns, with winds of 125 to 130 mph Paths ranged from .63 to .9 of a mile. Each touchdown was on the ground for around a minute and created a damage path of 50 to 75 yards. Todd Heitkamp, Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, stated that wind gusts were higher than 100 mph and they will continue to survey the area to confirm if there were any other tornadoes within this line.

[Map of reported damage in Sioux Falls, SD. From City of Sioux Falls]

At least 37 structures reported significant structural damage or have collapsed. Xcel Energy reported a peak of 25,000 without power, with that number under 7,000 as of late Wednesday morning.

A Tornado Warning was issued for Sioux Falls at 11:27 p.m. The National Weather Service received the first confirmation of a tornado in southern areas of Sioux Falls at 11:38 p.m.

Along with damaged buildings, power lines were downed across the city and trees uprooted. The last time a tornado hit Sioux Falls was July of 1989. More specific information from city officials can be found at https://siouxfalls.org/storm

Stay tuned to WeatherNation on-air and online for updates.

For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels

About the author
Chelsea Ambriz
Chelsea is from Indianapolis, Indiana. Although it may be the Hoosier state, she attended Purdue University and is a diehard Boilermaker fan. She has a BS in atmospheric science and is currently pursuing her MS in environmental policy and management with a concentration in energy and sustainability from the University of Denver. Chelsea loves the ever-changing patterns of the atmosphere wh... Load Moreich led her to participate in extensive severe weather research for the Red Cross during her undergrad years. She is currently a Community Volunteer Leader for the Red Cross and enjoys giving back to the community she lives. Before coming to WeatherNation, Chelsea worked in West Virginia at WSAZ and in west Tennessee at WBBJ where she did it all from reporting to sports but her passion is weather.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *