NWS: 4 tornadoes touched down in western South Dakota Sunday

One of the two tornadoes to touch down in Perkins County on May 23, according to the NWS.
One of the two tornadoes to touch down in Perkins County on May 23, according to the NWS.(Photo by Janelle Uyeda/via National Weather Service)
Updated: May. 25, 2021 at 11:38 AM CDT
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CUSTER, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Officials have confirmed four tornadoes touched down in South Dakota when a storm system swept through the western part of the state over the weekend.

The National Weather Service says the tornadoes all hit around 4 p.m. MT (5 p.m. CT) Sunday. Two touched down in Custer County in the southern Black Hills, while two touched down in Perkins County in the northwest corner of the state.

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Four tornadoes were confirmed to have occurred across western SD on Sunday, May 23rd: Two in Perkins County and two in...

Posted by US National Weather Service Rapid City South Dakota on Tuesday, May 25, 2021

According to the NWS report issued Tuesday, the Custer County twisters stayed on the ground longer and caused more damage. They were both rated as EF-1 tornadoes with peak winds estimated at 104 miles per hour, and each had a path of over five miles.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office earlier reported extensive damage to trees and power poles across Custer State Park, though there were no injuries reported. The NWS said in addition to the tornadoes, powerful straight-line winds of up to 70 miles per hour and half-dollar size hail were also responsible for some of the damages.

The tornadoes in Perkins County passed over open land and did not cause any damage, according to the NWS. They were not issued an EF rating.

Downed tree blocks a road in the southern Black Hills.
Downed tree blocks a road in the southern Black Hills.(Custer County Sheriff's Office)

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