Cleanup Underway after Tornadoes and 100 mph Winds Hit Sioux Falls
[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.
Here's a first look at the severe storm damage that occurred last night in Sioux Falls. pic.twitter.com/WyozEC0b8Q
— City of Sioux Falls (@CitySiouxFalls) September 11, 2019
**NEW** Now that the sun is up, we get some of the first looks during daylight of tornado damage from the storm that moved through the south part of Sioux Falls, SD, overnight. @NWSSiouxFalls survey team is working on assessing the damage. #sdwx #tornado pic.twitter.com/Wtyu7Pqoy8
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 11, 2019
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.
**BREAKING** The tornado that moved through part of Sioux Falls, SD, late Tuesday night was rated an EF-2. Meteorologist @GarofaloWX recaps this morning's powerful storm.
READ MORE -> https://t.co/fCGRR8dXte #sdwx #tornado #SiouxFallsTornado pic.twitter.com/fO43UhAwcE
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 11, 2019
I’ve concluded with the damage surveys and have determined three separate tornadoes occurred last night within the city of Sioux Falls. We plan on doing more surveys tomorrow or possibly tonight!
— Todd Heitkamp (@ToddHeitkamp) September 11, 2019
[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.
Here is a closer look at a few of the pictures from our damage surveys today. pic.twitter.com/2S49yeABR6
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) September 11, 2019
As we start to get some light this morning— you can see just how bad the damage is for the businesses of Pizza Ranch, Tuesday Morning, and JoAnn Fabrics. @ksfynews pic.twitter.com/GWsLaxehGT
— Jill Langland (@Jill_KSFY) September 11, 2019
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.
Tornado Warning including Sioux Falls SD, Brandon SD, Valley Springs SD until 12:00 AM CDT pic.twitter.com/CVNBOgo6hE
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) September 11, 2019
THERE IS NOW A POSSIBLE TORNADO OVER SIOUX FALLS… if you are in Sioux Falls, especially the highlighted area, seek shelter now!. it is dark and any tornado would be rain-wrapped so it would be impossible to see. #sdwx pic.twitter.com/NoA1fDELnN
— Shawn Cable (@shawncable) September 11, 2019
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
Additional pictures from today. pic.twitter.com/5TEsfYRbBj
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) September 11, 2019
PHOTOS: Morning sun has shed light on just how devastating the overnight storm in Sioux Falls was. https://t.co/km6f9yQsgF #ksfy pic.twitter.com/SVnxfVoH4t
— KSFY News (@ksfynews) September 11, 2019
We will be holding a media briefing at 5am at the Law Enforcement Center. Updates coming on damage, extent of power outage, next steps for residents. pic.twitter.com/ST6CzLhEXP
— Paul TenHaken (@paultenhaken) September 11, 2019
Stay tuned to WeatherNation on-air and online for updates.
For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Mace Michaels