Was Highmore wind historic? Yes!

July 7, 2026

Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight Matilyn Kerr, left, and sister Brittany Kerr watch as a skid-steer loader pulls a tree from Brittany Kerr’s yard in Highmore on June 29. 2026, after a severe storm that morning.

Winds in excess of 130 mph hit north-central South Dakota early Monday, breaking records and causing significant damage.

The National Weather Service Aberdeen office reported a 131 mph wind gust in Highmore in Hyde County. Photos posted by multiple media outlets show numerous trees uprooted, roofs ripped off buildings, grain silos folded in and downed wind turbines.

The NWS had issued a severe thunderstorm warning at the time of the storm, and it would be the highest recorded thunderstorm wind gust (not from a tornado or derecho) since 1983. The NWS confirmed the winds did not come from a tornado.
Meanwhile, a tornado was reported 2 miles south of Andover. No injuries were reported.

If the 131 mph gust is verified, it would be the 15th-strongest thunderstorm wind gust ever recorded in the United States and second-highest gust in South Dakota. In 2010, winds of 142 mph were measured in Lantry (Dewey County).
— S.D. News Watch

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