Hyde County

Population 1,191 (2025) 861 sq mi

Hyde County has recorded 15 tornadoes since 1950, 60th most of 66 counties in South Dakota; the most recent was on June 7, 2020.

Hazard fingerprint for Hyde County Tornado: 25th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 13th percentile. Flood: 19th percentile. Hail & wind: 42th percentile. Heat: 67th percentile. Cold: 84th percentile. Winter: 66th 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 195015
  • Wildfire burn scars since 19842

At a glance

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

Tornadoes since 1950

15

60th of 66 in South Dakota

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

Details

Flood insurance claims

1

47th of 66 in South Dakota

$0 paid since 1997

Details

Acres burned since 1984

1,268

31st of 66 in South Dakota

2 large fires; the largest was N Hyde, 2005

Details

Strongest tornado

F1

August 5, 1968, 3.6 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

15

Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026

Details

Record high

113°F

Reached 5 times, most recently July 15, 2006

Details

Record low

−45°F

January 12, 1912

Details

Snowiest season

84.0in

Winter of 1994-95

Tornadoes

About one every 5.1 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

August 5, 1968

F1, 3.6 mile path

880 yards wide.

Most recent

Sunday, June 7, 2020

EF1, 0.4 mile path

6 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 3 3 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 1 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 3 J: 5 J: 1 A: 6 6 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Hyde County since 1950
Jun 7, 2020EF10.45000
Aug 23, 2018EF00.67000
Aug 23, 2018EF01.85000
Jun 18, 2014EF10.74000
May 30, 2014EF01.85000
May 22, 2010EF11.610000
Aug 14, 2008EF00.11000
Aug 24, 2006F00.52000
Aug 24, 2006F00.52000
Jul 23, 1988F01.43000
Jun 19, 1975F00.11000
Jun 6, 1971F00.11000
Aug 5, 1968F13.688000
May 14, 1965F00.11000
Jun 6, 1963F00.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Hyde 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

1,268 acres burned in 2 large fires since 1984, equal to 0.2% of the land.

Largest

September 3, 2005

N Hyde Fire, 1,203 acres

1,204 acres inside Hyde County.

Most recent

October 10, 2022

Holiday Fire

2,933 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 2005: 1,2042022: 64 1,268 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Holiday2022632,933
N Hyde20051,2041,203
  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

2021: 58 days

Heavy smoke on 38 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

30.9 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

24 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 38 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 7 2012: 27 2013: 15 2014: 11 2015: 24 2016: 9 2017: 18 2018: 35 2019: 10 2020: 25 2021: 58 58 2022: 22 2023: 57 2024: 51 2025: 24 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 1997, with $0 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 1997. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood12
  • Flash Flood10

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 145 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 22 months.

145

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

56

Months in extreme drought

9%

Share of all months, severe or worse

30

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

August 1934

−7.25, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

22 months

June 1933 to March 1935.

Latest month

September 2026

+1.28, slightly 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: 1 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 2 1905: 2 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 4 1911: 6 1912: 6 1913: 11 1914: 2 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 5 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 5 1932: 0 1933: 7 1934: 12 12 1935: 7 1936: 8 1937: 9 1938: 2 1939: 2 1940: 6 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 9 1956: 6 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 4 1960: 0 1961: 0 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: 2 1975: 0 1976: 7 1977: 1 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 4 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 6 1989: 1 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: 1 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 1 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 3 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

2 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.4 in 1983.

1

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

11

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

2

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

0

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

March 4, 1983

Magnitude 4.4

16 km N of Fort Thompson, South Dakota; inside the county, 3.1 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

May 30, 2024

Magnitude 3.7

38 km NNW of Pierre, South Dakota; 45.2 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 1 1 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 1 1988: 0 1989: 1 1990: 1 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 1 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 1 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 1 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 1 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 1 2021: 0 2022: 1 2023: 0 2024: 1 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Mar 4, 19834.4Inside3.116 km N of Fort Thompson, South Dakota
Jul 23, 19464.135.3—3 km NW of Wessington Springs, South 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

574 events in the National Weather Service record, 530 of them since 1996.

101

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

10

Hail, 2 inches or larger

137

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

94

Winter weather events since 1996

15

Heat events since 1996

34

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

July 6, 1987

4.50 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

June 29, 2026

131 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Dust storms and dust devils100Jun 1, 2018

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Apr 1, 2019Flood$178,000
    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…

  2. Jul 5, 2022Thunderstorm Wind$10,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A trained spotter reported a roof blown off of a home.

  3. Aug 3, 2005Flash Flood$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rains of 3 to 6 inches fell between Highmore and Ree Heights. Many township roads were flooded and a section of railroad tracks was washed out west of Ree Heights.

  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 Highmore, 0.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1893.

All-time high
113°F5 times, most recently Jul 15, 2006
All-time low
−45°FJan 12, 1912
Warmest night
88°FJul 11, 1901
Coldest day
−23°FFeb 1, 1917
Wettest day
6.00 inAug 4, 2007
Snowiest day
22.0 inApr 18, 1995
Hottest year
1931mean 50.0°F
Coldest year
1950mean 40.8°F
Wettest year
201935.56 in
Driest year
19769.28 in
Snowiest season
84.0 in1994-95
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Highmore 32°F 27° 7° 0.4 Jan 32° 10° 0.6 Feb 45° 21° 1.1 Mar 59° 32° 2.4 Apr 70° 44° 3.4 May 80° 55° 3.8 Jun 87° 61° 2.7 Jul 85° 58° 2.7 Aug 77° 50° 2.1 Sep 61° 37° 1.6 Oct 45° 23° 0.5 Nov 31° 12° 0.7 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 1976: 50 50 1977: 12 1978: 27 1979: 15 1980: 34 1981: 12 1983: 31 1984: 14 1987: 19 1989: 20 1990: 11 1991: 16 1992: 2 1993: 1 1994: 1 1995: 5 1996: 2 1997: 0 1999: 10 2001: 19 2003: 19 2005: 20 2006: 19 2007: 9 2008: 3 2009: 1 2010: 6 2012: 16 2013: 9 2014: 3 2015: 3 2016: 7 2017: 19 2018: 2 2019: 1 2020: 2 2022: 13 2023: 8 2024: 3 2025: 8 1976199020032015
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 8.4.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 46.5 in 1977: 65.9 in 1978: 55.3 in 1979: 28.3 in 1980: 16.5 in 1981: 68.5 in 1982: 27.7 in 1983: 60.6 in 1984: 36.0 in 1986: 31.6 in 1987: 22.1 in 1989: 39.5 in 1990: 34.5 in 1991: 29.5 in 1992: 37.5 in 1993: 57.0 in 1994: 84.0 in 84.0 1995: 41.0 in 1996: 80.5 in 1997: 24.0 in 1998: 27.5 in 1999: 19.5 in 2000: 56.0 in 2001: 34.5 in 2002: 21.6 in 2003: 37.5 in 2004: 12.0 in 2005: 44.0 in 2006: 37.2 in 2007: 28.0 in 2008: 43.0 in 2009: 27.5 in 2012: 64.5 in 2013: 29.0 in 2014: 20.0 in 2015: 41.5 in 2016: 34.0 in 2017: 49.5 in 2018: 76.0 in 2019: 33.8 in 2020: 21.1 in 2022: 81.8 in 2023: 24.2 in 2024: 18.1 in 2025: 19.7 in 19761987199820082020
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

November 12

Earliest: September 30, 1961

Median last snow

April 4

Latest: May 10, 1907

0 of 117 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Highmore (USC00393832), 1,901 ft elevation, 0.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 23, 2026; 93.0% 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: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, September 1, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Sep 1, 2026Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4938-SD
Apr 5, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4527-SD
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3475-SD
Jun 7, 2019FloodSevere Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4440-SD
May 13, 2011FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-1984-SD
May 13, 2010FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-1915-SD
Mar 10, 2010Severe StormSevere Winter StormMajor disasterDR-1887-SD
Sep 10, 2005Coastal StormHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3234-SD
Jul 22, 2005Severe StormSevere StormMajor disasterDR-1596-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 17, 1976DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3015-SD
Apr 18, 1969FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-257-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 Hyde County stands among 66 counties in South Dakota and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19501560 / 661,879 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19841,26831 / 661,258 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims147 / 662,799 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$0——
Disaster declarations1556 / 662,305 / 3,143
Flood events since 19962249 / 662,422 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199632342 / 661,081 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19969458 / 661,044 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$193,00060 / 663,083 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189514532 / 661,063 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years30.924 / 66153 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900223 / 661,151 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973114 / 66826 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Buffalo County1705,5230
Faulk County22003
Hand County4509958
Hughes County170088
Lyman County4306,07716
Potter County20000
Sully County2202,7895

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 USC00393832.
  • 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.