Governor Larry Rhoden has requested a presidential major disaster declaration for eight South Dakota counties and two reservations in response to severe weather events in late June and early July 2026.
Hand, Hyde, Buffalo, Hughes, Stanley, Bennett, Beadle and Day Counties as well as the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Reservations were included in the request.
The request covers what the Storm Prediction Center has now determined was a mini-derecho, as well as a tornado and a historic windstorm between June 28 and July 3. The mini-derecho produced extreme gusts of 131 mph in the Highmore area that are being evaluated for both state and national records. Damage included roads, power systems, parks, recreation areas and public facilities, with Hyde and Beadle Counties experiencing particularly devastating impacts.
The damage estimate to public property is more than $4.5 million ($4,564,928), which exceeds federal thresholds for disaster assistance. Hyde County estimates $2.8 million in damages, and Beadle County accounts for almost $900,000. These two counties account for over 80% of the damages from the storms.
If approved, the Presidential declaration would provide public assistance funding for repairs at a cost share of 75% federal, 10% state, and 15% local. In addition, it would make Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding available in the future.
Rhoden declared a state of emergency on June 30, 2026, which started the disaster process by requesting technical assistance for a preliminary damage assessment by FEMA.
A copy of the Executive Order is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/EO-2026-09_Windstorm-Disaster.pdf.
A copy of the request to the President is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Presidential-Disaster-Declaration_Request-Letter_signed_07-27-2026.pdf.
A copy of the Preliminary Damage Assessment by county and damage type is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Preliminary-Damage-Assessment.pdf.
A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, and fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms that produces destructive straight-line winds.
In this particular case, it’s being described as a “mini derecho” because its width did not meet the 100-kilometer (62 mile) width criteria.
The storms included a peak wind gust of 131 miles an hour in Highmore, which ranks as the 15th strongest thunderstorm wind gust in recorded U.S. history.
The storm continued to produce wind gusts of 60 to 87 mph as it moved across northern Hand and northern Spink counties.
The storm then started to exhibit rotation as it moved through southeastern Brown and western Day counties, prompting Tornado Warnings.
The storm produced a brief tornado 5-and-a-half miles south-southwest of Andover.
It continued to produce wind damage across northeastern South Dakota, before moving into southeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota around 10 a.m.
In the end, the storm traveled over 350 miles from southwest to northeast across South Dakota.
Story courtesy of news partner Watertown Radio.
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