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Jefferson, SD Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

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The chance of earthquake damage in Jefferson is about the same as South Dakota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Jefferson is much higher than South Dakota average and is higher than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake Index Volcano Index Tornado Index Other Weather Extremes Events Volcanos Nearby Historical Earthquake Events Historical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #198

Jefferson, SD	0.03
South Dakota	0.05
U.S.	1.81

The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.

Volcano Index, #1

Jefferson, SD	0.0000
South Dakota	0.0000
U.S.	0.0023

The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.

Tornado Index, #65

Jefferson, SD	200.43
South Dakota	114.73
U.S.	136.45

The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.

Other Weather Extremes Events

A total of 3,729 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Jefferson, SD were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:

Type	Count	Type	Count	Type	Count	Type	Count	Type	Count
Avalanche:	0	Blizzard:	40	Cold:	52	Dense Fog:	0	Drought:	11
Dust Storm:	0	Flood:	250	Hail:	1,738	Heat:	7	Heavy Snow:	37
High Surf:	0	Hurricane:	0	Ice Storm:	8	Landslide:	0	Strong Wind:	50
Thunderstorm Winds:	1,335	Tropical Storm:	0	Wildfire:	1	Winter Storm:	65	Winter Weather:	53
Other:	82

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Jefferson, SD.

Historical Earthquake Events

No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Jefferson, SD.

No historical earthquake events found in or near Jefferson, SD.

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 81 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Jefferson, SD.

Distance (miles)	Date	Magnitude	Start Lat/Log	End Lat/Log	Length	Width	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage	Crop Damage	Affected County
9.0	1986-07-28	4	42°32'N / 96°41'W	42°25'N / 96°25'W	20.00 Miles	73 Yards	0	1	25.0M	0	Dakota
10.2	1964-05-05	3	42°31'N / 96°25'W	42°34'N / 96°21'W	4.10 Miles	300 Yards	0	7	2.5M	0	Woodbury
11.2	2001-08-17	2	42°27'N / 96°34'W	42°26'N / 96°34'W	1.50 Miles	400 Yards	0	3	3.0M	0	Dakota
		Brief Description: A tornado completely destroyed at least ten houses and heavily damaged several others. The tornado heavily damaged the town school, including taking most of the roof off the school. The only church in town and a telephone company building were also heavily damaged. Power lines, poles, and trees were blown down, and electricity and water service were knocked out. Three empty box cars on the southeast side of Jackson were toppled. Three injuries included a woman with a broken leg and cuts rescued from the rubble of a house, and two children with minor injuries.
11.5	1963-06-09	2	42°46'N / 96°37'W		2.00 Miles	33 Yards	0	2	25K	0	Plymouth
13.2	1986-07-28	4	42°41'N / 96°58'W	42°32'N / 96°41'W	20.00 Miles	73 Yards	0	0	25.0M	0	Dixon
13.9	1975-05-22	2	42°28'N / 96°22'W				0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
14.3	1953-06-07	2	42°45'N / 96°36'W	42°52'N / 96°26'W	11.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Plymouth
15.9	1967-06-14	3	42°48'N / 96°35'W	42°52'N / 96°29'W	6.20 Miles	500 Yards	0	3	250K	0	Plymouth
15.9	1968-06-13	2	42°27'N / 96°20'W		0.10 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
17.4	1964-09-07	2	42°42'N / 96°15'W		2.00 Miles	250 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
19.5	1978-07-05	2	42°54'N / 96°33'W	42°47'N / 96°10'W	20.80 Miles	30 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Plymouth
20.0	1980-05-29	2	42°39'N / 96°59'W	42°41'N / 96°55'W	3.30 Miles	60 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Dixon
20.3	1981-09-26	2	42°47'N / 96°53'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
22.4	1967-08-16	2	42°47'N / 96°56'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
22.9	1979-05-08	3	42°27'N / 96°10'W				0	4	25K	0	Woodbury
23.0	1963-03-16	2	42°48'N / 96°12'W		2.00 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
23.1	1994-07-05	3	42°20'N / 96°18'W		1.80 Miles	150 Yards	0	0	500K	5K	Woodbury
23.7	1991-08-07	2	42°47'N / 96°10'W		1.50 Miles	63 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
24.5	1984-06-11	2	42°47'N / 96°59'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
24.6	1965-06-07	3	42°55'N / 96°48'W				0	0	0K	0	Union
24.7	1965-06-07	3	42°52'N / 96°18'W	42°48'N / 96°05'W	11.50 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
24.8	1963-06-09	2	42°23'N / 97°20'W	42°35'N / 96°43'W	34.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Cedar
25.0	1992-05-16	2	42°22'N / 97°01'W	42°21'N / 96°50'W	8.00 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Dixon
25.0	1986-07-28	4	42°25'N / 96°23'W	42°12'N / 96°11'W	11.50 Miles	73 Yards	0	1	250.0M	0	Woodbury
26.1	1998-05-28	2	42°33'N / 97°08'W	42°33'N / 97°01'W	8.00 Miles	250 Yards	0	1	0	0	Cedar
		Brief Description: Three farms damaged. Eight to ten power poles downed 8 -10 miles east southeast of Hartington. Injury occurred about 9 miles east of Hartington southeast of the Highway 84/57 interchange.
26.7	1973-06-18	2	42°29'N / 96°04'W		2.00 Miles	400 Yards	2	10	250K	0	Woodbury
27.9	1992-05-16	2	42°24'N / 97°02'W	42°22'N / 97°01'W	2.00 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Cedar
27.9	1973-06-18	2	42°28'N / 96°03'W		1.00 Mile	300 Yards	0	5	250K	0	Woodbury
27.9	1967-06-14	2	42°53'N / 96°10'W		1.00 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
28.3	1964-05-08	3	42°47'N / 96°10'W	42°49'N / 95°59'W	9.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
28.3	1987-07-07	2	43°01'N / 96°29'W	43°00'N / 96°27'W	2.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Sioux
28.8	1970-07-14	2	42°36'N / 96°00'W		1.00 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
29.6	1983-09-05	2	42°23'N / 96°04'W		2.50 Miles	127 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Woodbury
30.2	1987-07-07	2	43°04'N / 96°37'W	43°01'N / 96°29'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Union
30.2	1954-05-27	2	42°49'N / 96°05'W	42°51'N / 96°02'W	2.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
30.3	1955-05-26	2	42°14'N / 97°00'W	42°19'N / 96°55'W	6.50 Miles	167 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Wayne
30.3	1970-06-15	2	42°02'N / 97°25'W	42°28'N / 96°25'W	59.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Madison
30.9	1964-08-10	2	42°25'N / 97°07'W				0	0	25K	0	Cedar
31.1	1955-06-17	2	42°15'N / 97°06'W	42°21'N / 96°56'W	10.60 Miles	40 Yards	0	0	3K	0	Wayne
31.5	1954-06-17	3	42°07'N / 96°42'W	42°12'N / 96°42'W	5.70 Miles	163 Yards	1	0	250K	0	Thurston
31.6	1967-06-14	2	42°09'N / 96°29'W		0.50 Mile	33 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Thurston
31.9	1965-06-07	2	42°54'N / 97°03'W				0	0	0K	0	Clay
32.2	1998-06-23	2	42°12'N / 96°15'W	42°12'N / 96°15'W	2.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	0	0	Monona
		Brief Description: House destroyed.
32.4	2003-06-23	4	42°30'N / 97°19'W	42°32'N / 97°04'W	13.00 Miles	1200 Yards	1	0	3.7M	0	Cedar
		Brief Description: An eventual f4 tornado began its destructive path around 6 miles southwest of Coleridge. The tornado moved northeast and crossed the northern sections of the city uprooting trees, downing power lines and destroying a couple of grain bins. A construction business in a garage was also destroyed. The tornado then continued northeast of town hitting a large hog farm. At this farm a 70-year-old man was killed while in a storage shed when a tractor that was flipped by the winds crushed him. Many livestock were also killed by debris or flung through the air by the deadly winds. In one case cattle were carried over a mile then left dead in a pile. The tornado then widened to around 3/4 of a mile, reaching its maximum intensity. Numerous vehicles were tossed at this location and a complete farmstead was flattened. Trees were also stripped and debarked. The tornado remained around 3/4 of a mile wide for a few more miles before turning slightly to the southeast and diminishing, but not before hitting 2 more farmsteads and moving one house off of its foundation. In total, 11 homes received substantial damage and between 100 and 200 utility poles were downed. M70EQ
33.6	1978-07-05	2	43°02'N / 96°15'W	42°56'N / 96°03'W	11.90 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
34.4	1964-04-20	2	42°14'N / 97°01'W				0	0	3K	0	Wayne
34.5	1986-07-28	4	42°11'N / 96°14'W	42°11'N / 96°10'W	1.00 Mile	73 Yards	0	0	250.0M	0	Monona
34.8	1966-06-02	2	43°06'N / 96°24'W	43°02'N / 96°11'W	11.50 Miles	300 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Sioux
35.2	1963-05-12	2	42°13'N / 96°12'W	42°18'N / 95°55'W	15.20 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
35.3	1953-06-19	2	42°13'N / 97°01'W				0	1	3K	0	Wayne
36.0	1962-05-21	3	42°26'N / 97°27'W	42°46'N / 97°06'W	29.00 Miles	500 Yards	0	1	2.5M	0	Cedar
36.8	1964-09-07	2	42°47'N / 95°58'W	42°47'N / 95°48'W	7.90 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
37.1	1970-07-01	2	43°09'N / 96°36'W	43°08'N / 96°32'W	2.30 Miles	1320 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Lincoln
38.2	1954-06-17	3	42°05'N / 97°03'W	42°07'N / 96°42'W	17.90 Miles	163 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Stanton
38.5	1970-07-14	2	43°10'N / 96°48'W	43°07'N / 96°44'W	3.80 Miles	33 Yards	1	1	25.0M	0	Lincoln
38.8	1991-08-07	2	42°49'N / 95°54'W	42°49'N / 95°49'W	3.00 Miles	80 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
38.9	1965-06-07	2	43°04'N / 97°02'W	43°07'N / 96°52'W	8.60 Miles	210 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Clay
39.0	1964-05-05	3	42°34'N / 96°21'W	43°11'N / 95°26'W	62.90 Miles	300 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Plymouth
40.3	1953-06-07	2	42°15'N / 97°25'W	42°25'N / 97°07'W	18.90 Miles	33 Yards	0	4	25K	0	Cedar
40.6	1959-05-30	2	42°49'N / 97°29'W	42°50'N / 97°08'W	17.50 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Cedar
40.8	1968-09-22	3	43°01'N / 96°04'W	43°04'N / 95°59'W	4.70 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
40.8	1991-08-07	2	42°49'N / 95°49'W	42°45'N / 95°47'W	5.00 Miles	80 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Cherokee
41.2	1959-05-30	3	42°53'N / 97°17'W				0	0	25K	0	Yankton
42.2	2008-05-01	2	43°08'N / 96°18'W	43°15'N / 96°22'W	9.00 Miles	400 Yards	0	0	0.5M	0K	Sioux
		Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado damaged numerous trees, including large trees uprooted, blew windows out of a home, destroyed a metal shed, blew two windows and part of a wall out of a metal building, damaged at least three grain bins, destroyed or damaged numerous outbuildings and small sheds, blew down or snapped off at least 15 power poles, bent a metal light pole, tipped one wagon and blew the top off another, blew down a barb wire fence and pushed fence posts almost to the ground, destroyed a hog barn, and flattened corn stubble, before crossing the county line into Lyon County. Contents inside several damaged or destroyed buildings and sheds were also damaged, especially on one farm where damaged buildings housed a farm and trucking business. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms produced 5 confirmed tornadoes over extreme northwest Iowa during the early evening hours of May 1st. One large long track tornado caused considerable damage, while the other 4 tornadoes were short lived and weak.
44.3	2003-06-24	2	43°08'N / 96°58'W	43°11'N / 97°03'W	7.00 Miles	400 Yards	0	0	0	0	Turner
		Brief Description: A tornado damaged farm buildings and equipment, as well as crops, trees, and power lines.
45.0	1967-08-01	2	41°59'N / 96°50'W		2.00 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Cuming
46.1	1968-04-03	2	42°59'N / 95°49'W		0.50 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	O'brien
46.3	1964-06-22	2	43°07'N / 96°53'W	43°21'N / 96°53'W	16.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Lincoln
46.5	1954-06-18	3	43°03'N / 97°19'W	43°08'N / 97°05'W	12.80 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Yankton
46.6	1984-06-07	2	42°39'N / 95°44'W	42°46'N / 95°35'W	10.00 Miles	77 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Cherokee
47.0	1965-05-24	2	42°54'N / 97°24'W				0	0	25K	0	Yankton
47.1	1979-08-08	2	43°04'N / 95°53'W		0.40 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
47.1	1991-05-28	2	41°56'N / 96°24'W		1.00 Mile	440 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Burt
47.3	1975-05-06	3	42°10'N / 97°28'W	42°49'N / 97°30'W	44.80 Miles	90 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Pierce
47.4	1958-04-01	2	42°44'N / 95°42'W	42°51'N / 95°38'W	8.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Cherokee
47.9	1986-04-26	2	43°16'N / 96°55'W	43°15'N / 96°51'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Lincoln
48.0	1954-06-19	2	43°17'N / 96°18'W	43°15'N / 96°15'W	2.30 Miles	880 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Lyon
48.1	1986-04-26	2	43°14'N / 96°56'W	43°16'N / 96°55'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Turner
48.8	1991-05-27	3	41°53'N / 96°28'W	41°56'N / 96°20'W	6.00 Miles	1760 Yards	0	2	2.5M	0	Burt
49.0	1975-05-06	3	41°58'N / 97°12'W	42°12'N / 97°14'W	15.90 Miles	167 Yards	0	1	250K	0	Stanton
49.2	1981-08-03	3	43°17'N / 97°09'W	43°06'N / 97°05'W	12.80 Miles	440 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Turner

* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.