Campbell County

Population 1,377 (2025) 734 sq mi

Campbell County has recorded 17 tornadoes since 1950, 55th most of 66 counties in South Dakota; the most recent was on August 28, 2024.

Hazard fingerprint for Campbell County Tornado: 31th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 26th percentile. Flood: 15th percentile. Hail & wind: 42th percentile. Heat: 50th percentile. Cold: 88th percentile. Winter: 65th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 195017
  • Wildfire burn scars since 19841

At a glance

The record for Campbell County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Tornadoes since 1950

17

55th of 66 in South Dakota

Fewer than the typical South Dakota county, which has had 29

Details

Acres burned since 1984

2,756

26th of 66 in South Dakota

1 large fire; the largest was Mound City, 2011

Details

Flood insurance claims

1

47th of 66 in South Dakota

$166,000 paid since 2019

Details

Strongest tornado

F3

June 21, 1983, 6.0 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

15

Most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020

Details

Record high

118°F

July 20, 1934

Details

Record low

−51°F

February 16, 1936

Details

Snowiest season

89.5in

Winter of 2018-19

Tornadoes

About one every 4.5 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 21, 1983

F3, 6.0 mile path

600 yards wide.

Most recent

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

EFU, 0.9 mile path

2 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 6 6 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 3 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 2 J: 12 12 J: 0 A: 3 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Campbell County since 1950
Aug 28, 2024EFU0.92000
Aug 28, 2024EF25.420000
Jun 7, 2021EF00.11000
May 22, 2016EF00.33000
Jun 25, 2013EF00.11000
Aug 3, 1996F00.31000
Jun 22, 1983F20.21300
Jun 21, 1983F36.060040
Jun 15, 1971F10.11000
Jun 14, 1970F22.51,76000
Jun 14, 1970F10.11000
Jun 14, 1970F00.11000
Jun 14, 1970F00.11000
Jun 14, 1970F00.11000
Jun 13, 1965F24.13000
Jun 8, 1964F10.11000
May 5, 1964F216.088000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Campbell County: 0.
  2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

2,756 acres burned in 1 large fire since 1984, equal to 0.6% of the land.

Largest

October 5, 2011

Mound City Fire, 2,752 acres

2,755 acres inside Campbell County.

Most recent

October 5, 2011

Mound City Fire

2,752 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 2011: 2,756 2,756 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Mound City20112,7552,752
  1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 64 days

Heavy smoke on 41 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

32.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

29 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 39 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 5 2012: 25 2013: 13 2014: 12 2015: 24 2016: 13 2017: 20 2018: 35 2019: 10 2020: 25 2021: 59 2022: 20 2023: 64 64 2024: 50 2025: 29 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Floods and flood insurance

1 federal flood insurance claims since 2019, with $166,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 2019. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood8
  • Flash Flood6

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 144 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 24 months.

144

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

58

Months in extreme drought

9%

Share of all months, severe or worse

35

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

August 1934

−9.15, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

24 months

April 1938 to March 1940.

Latest month

September 2026

+2.07, moderately wet

Last severe month: July 2021.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 1 1901: 3 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 1 1911: 2 1912: 0 1913: 1 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 2 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 0 1932: 0 1933: 5 1934: 12 12 1935: 5 1936: 8 1937: 12 1938: 11 1939: 12 1940: 8 1941: 3 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 4 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 3 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 2 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 5 1977: 4 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 5 1981: 3 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 8 1989: 2 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 7 2003: 7 2004: 2 2005: 0 2006: 4 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 2 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Earthquakes

1 earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.4 in 1968.

0

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

2

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

1

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

0

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

July 8, 1968

Magnitude 4.4

Near Huff, North Dakota; 46.1 miles away, 16.8 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

December 8, 2020

Magnitude 3.2

10 km NNW of Bowdle, South Dakota; 4.3 miles away.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Jul 8, 19684.446.116.8Near Huff, North Dakota
  1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
  2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

523 events in the National Weather Service record, 477 of them since 1996.

86

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

6

Hail, 2 inches or larger

106

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

93

Winter weather events since 1996

9

Heat events since 1996

41

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

July 7, 1990

5.00 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

August 3, 1996

90 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning100Jun 5, 1999
Dense fog and smoke202May 17, 2023

Costliest events since 1996

  1. May 17, 2018Flash Flood$34,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rains flooded several areas along Highway 271 in far southeast Campbell county along with many acres of crop and pastureland.

  2. Apr 1, 2019Flood$9,700
    National Weather Service narrative

    The continuation of snowmelt from a much above normal snowfall winter combined with a historic heavy snow/blizzard in mid-April resulted in widespread flooding across central and northeast South Dakota. Countless roads along with thousands of acres of cropland were flooded throughout April. Impacts include damaged roads, culverts, and bridges, and livestock, homes, and businesses were affected. Delayed planting resulted across all of the region as well. Cattle and calves were stressed by the cold and wet pattern, as the mud and cold caused some sickness with the livestock. Flooded roads made it difficult for many farmers or ranchers to get to their fields or livestock. There was a…

  1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

Weather records

From Pollock, 11.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1908.

All-time high
118°FJul 20, 1934
All-time low
−51°FFeb 16, 1936
Warmest night
81°F3 times, most recently Jul 10, 1936
Coldest day
−25°FJan 12, 1912
Wettest day
5.10 inJun 30, 1909
Snowiest day
15.0 inFeb 26, 2009
Hottest year
1987mean 48.4°F
Coldest year
1951mean 37.8°F
Wettest year
201928.16 in
Driest year
19363.66 in
Snowiest season
89.5 in2018-19
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Pollock 32°F 25° 4° 0.3 Jan 29° 7° 0.4 Feb 42° 19° 0.7 Mar 58° 31° 1.4 Apr 70° 44° 2.8 May 80° 55° 3.0 Jun 87° 61° 2.3 Jul 84° 58° 2.1 Aug 76° 49° 1.8 Sep 59° 35° 1.4 Oct 42° 21° 0.5 Nov 29° 9° 0.5 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1977: 11 1978: 17 1980: 18 1981: 7 1982: 14 1983: 16 1984: 10 1985: 14 1986: 2 1987: 13 1988: 37 37 1989: 19 1990: 5 1991: 15 1992: 4 1993: 0 1994: 2 1995: 3 1996: 6 1997: 3 1998: 4 1999: 5 2000: 5 2001: 9 2002: 18 2003: 20 2004: 6 2005: 13 2006: 33 2007: 13 2008: 4 2009: 3 2010: 11 2011: 7 2012: 16 2013: 6 2014: 1 2015: 7 2016: 10 2017: 12 2018: 7 2019: 0 2020: 2 2021: 29 2022: 11 2023: 6 2024: 5 2025: 6 19771988199820082018
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 9.3.
Snowfall by winter 1978: 44.0 in 1979: 10.4 in 1980: 6.8 in 1981: 51.3 in 1982: 13.1 in 1983: 36.2 in 1984: 29.3 in 1986: 53.8 in 1987: 15.0 in 1988: 42.4 in 1989: 29.5 in 1990: 41.0 in 1991: 26.3 in 1992: 41.0 in 1993: 60.0 in 1994: 57.0 in 1995: 58.7 in 1997: 21.1 in 1998: 37.0 in 1999: 20.5 in 2000: 58.0 in 2001: 23.5 in 2002: 24.5 in 2003: 33.5 in 2004: 11.5 in 2005: 17.5 in 2006: 40.5 in 2007: 26.0 in 2008: 72.0 in 2009: 45.5 in 2010: 85.0 in 2011: 18.0 in 2012: 37.5 in 2013: 35.0 in 2014: 23.0 in 2015: 23.0 in 2016: 54.5 in 2017: 41.5 in 2018: 89.5 in 89.5 2019: 51.0 in 2020: 19.0 in 2021: 31.5 in 2022: 76.5 in 2023: 18.1 in 2024: 20.6 in 2025: 45.5 in 19781989200020102020
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

November 10

Earliest: September 21, 1995

Median last snow

April 2

Latest: May 11, 1943

0 of 77 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Pollock (USC00396712), 1,639 ft elevation, 11.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1908 to October 22, 2026; 98.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Federal disaster declarations

15 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, April 5, 2020.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 5, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4527-SD
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3475-SD
Sep 23, 2019FloodSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4463-SD
Jun 7, 2019FloodSevere Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4440-SD
Mar 10, 2010Severe StormSevere Winter StormMajor disasterDR-1887-SD
Mar 9, 2010Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disasterDR-1886-SD
Jun 16, 2009Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1844-SD
Sep 10, 2005Coastal StormHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3234-SD
Apr 7, 1997FloodSevere Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,Heavy Rains High WindsMajor disasterDR-1173-SD
Jan 10, 1997Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Blizzard ConditionsMajor disasterDR-1156-SD
May 26, 1995FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-1052-SD
Mar 14, 1995SnowstormSevere Winter StormsMajor disasterDR-1045-SD
Jun 21, 1994Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1031-SD
Jul 19, 1993Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disasterDR-999-SD
Jun 17, 1976DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3015-SD

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

How this compares

Where Campbell County stands among 66 counties in South Dakota and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19501755 / 661,740 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger127 / 661,281 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19842,75626 / 661,097 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims147 / 662,799 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$166,00032 / 662,186 / 3,143
Disaster declarations1556 / 662,305 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961462 / 662,764 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199627655 / 661,363 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19969361 / 661,053 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$44,00065 / 663,112 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189514435 / 661,086 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years32.510 / 66102 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900138 / 661,397 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19730——

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Corson County23057,8181
Emmons County ND4305,66482
McIntosh County ND23002
McPherson County2702,7893
Walworth County3002,7780

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
  • Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
  • Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
  • Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
  • Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
  • Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00396712.
  • River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
  • Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.