South Dakota Tornado Facts

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a boomtown. We have thousands of people from all over the world moving here every year to work in healthcare, financial services, and more. And one thing that seems to be on many of their minds when they move here is tornadoes.

I suppose that it would be the same if I moved to Southern California. I'd be worried about earthquakes in the same way. Or if I lost a bet and had to move to Florida, I'd worry about hurricanes. Tornadoes are a dangerous and exciting weather phenomenon that gets lots of attention. Who wouldn't be concerned about the possibility of a twister ripping through town like a drunk Paul Bunyan?

Graphics courtesy of the National Weather Service

So, to satisfy curiosity and hopefully calm some fears, I dug into the data and present some South Dakota Tornado Facts.

What is a Tornado?

First, let's talk about what a tornado is. It is a column of air spinning very fast that extends from a storm cloud to the ground. It's kinda like a super-compact and long hurricane. Winds inside a tornado can spin hundreds of miles an hour. With modern tech, we can often see a tornado forming in the clouds before it touches down, but otherwise, they are very unpredictable and can cause lots of damage.

I've said that living in South Dakota, you can think of tornadoes like mountain lions. Chances are you'll live your whole life here and never see one, but you know they are out there. And if you do see one, it's time to practice extreme caution.

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Graphics courtesy of the National Weather Service

What Do You Do If There's a Tornado?

If a tornado is near you, get underground, like in a basement. If that's not possible, get inside a strong building and stay away from windows. Not only is the twister itself dangerous, but it will throw debris around, turning glass, metal, anything really into mini missiles.