2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak

2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak
Date of tornado outbreak: June 24, 2003
Duration1: Approx. three hours
Maximum rated tornado2: F4 tornado
Tornadoes caused: 125
Damages: $13.5 million
Fatalities:
Areas affected: Southeast South Dakota

1Time from first tornado to last tornado
2Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita Scale

The 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak known locally as "Tornado Tuesday" was a tornado outbreak that occurred in the southeastern and east central part of South Dakota in the United States on June 24, 2003.[1] At the time, this outbreak tied a United States record for the most tornado touchdowns in a single day for one state, with 67.[2] However this record was surpassed by a tornado outbreak in Kansas on May 23, 2008 when 73 tornadoes hit the state, including two that started in Oklahoma.

Contents

Manchester tornado

The most powerful tornado was located around Manchester in Kingsbury County and was rated an F-4 on the Fujita scale. In the National Weather Service survey released shortly after the tornado, winds were estimated to be up to 260 miles per hour (now estimated to be up to 200 miles per hour by the EF-scale).[3] There, every single structure was either heavily damaged or destroyed. No fatalities were reported with this tornado but at least 4 people were injured by the storm. Researchers had placed several sensors all across the area that was hit by the tornado. The twister passed right over one of the sensors which recorded a 100 millibar pressure drop. One film shot showed the tornado passing directly over a camera placed and buried on the ground.[4][5]

Other tornadoes

Most tornadoes across South Dakota during that day were weak F0's and F1's; however, many caused extensive damage to farms and crops. One tornado tore through the Turner County Fairgrounds in Parker, destroying many structures at the site.[6]

In Minnesota, several tornadoes touched down near the Buffalo Lake area with one of the storms causing extensive damage to the town.[7] No tornado-related fatalities were reported during the entire day; however, tornadoes on June 22 and 23 killed two people in Nebraska.[8][9]

During a four-day period from June 21 to June 24, the entire area from Wyoming to Minnesota was hit by a total of 125 tornadoes including 2 F4s.

Confirmed tornadoes

Main article: List of 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak tornadoes
Confirmed
Total		 Confirmed
F0		 Confirmed
F1		 Confirmed
F2		 Confirmed
F3		 Confirmed
F4		 Confirmed
F5
125 92 20 9 2 2 0

See also

References

  1. ^ Moore, Gene. "The Record Breaking South Dakota Tornado Outbreak of 24 June, 2003". http://www.chaseday.com/SDoutbreak-1.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
  2. ^ NOAA. "June Tornadoes in South Dakota Tie National Record". http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/storms/tor062403/sdtor062403.php. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
  3. ^ NOAA National Weather Service, Sioux Falls, SD "Record Pressure Drop Recorded with Manchester Tornado", Retrieved on 2009-10-13.
  4. ^ NWS Sioux Falls, SD
  5. ^ NCDC: Event Details
  6. ^ NCDC: Event Details
  7. ^ NCDC: Event Details
  8. ^ NCDC: Event Details
  9. ^ NCDC: Event Details

External links