South Dakota blasted by 131 mph wind gust, likely top 15 thunderstorm gust recorded in U.S. history
The Hyde County, South Dakota, Sheriff's Office said the storm caused significant damage and knocked out power in parts of Highmore, close to where the 131 mph gust was clocked.
Watch: Drone video shows damage caused by extreme windstorm in Highmore, South Dakota
A long-lived thunderstorm that left a trail of destruction across parts of the Upper Midwest on Monday, including a 131-mph wind gust, is being called a mini-derecho. Drone video from Highmore showed the roofs blown off some homes, in addition to destroyed outbuildings like warehouses, garages and grain silos.
A long-lived supercell thunderstorm that left a trail of destruction across parts of the Upper Midwest on Monday, including a 131-mph wind gust, is being called a mini-derecho.
The storm carved a 590-mile path that began in northern Nebraska early Monday morning before tracking across parts of South Dakota and Minnesota.
Powerful wind gusts destroy outbuildings in Ree Heights, South Dakota, on Monday June 29, 2026.
(Sandi Hall/Facebook / FOX Weather)
The Hyde County, South Dakota, Sheriff's Office said the storm caused significant damage and knocked out power in parts of Highmore, close to where the 131 mph gust was clocked.
Drone video from Highmore showed the roofs blown off some homes, in addition to destroyed outbuildings like warehouses, garages and grain silos.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center Warning Coordinator discusses extreme windstorm that blasted South Dakota
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center Warning Coordinator Evan Bentley joined FOX Weather Command to discuss the "mini-derecho" that blasted South Dakota with gusts up to 131 mph on Monday.
The 131-mph wind gust recorded in Holabird, South Dakota, is the second-strongest in the state since record-keeping began in 2003, according to revised data from NOAA.
It's also expected to be verified as the 15th strongest wind gust produced by a thunderstorm in U.S. history, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC).
Watch: Mothership supercell thunderstorm looms over Ellsworth,Nebraska
Supercell thunderstorm rumbles across Ellsworth, Nebraska on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The SPC's Warning Coordinator, Evan Bentley, said the storm could be described as a "mini-derecho."
A derecho – derived from the Spanish word for "straight" – is a line or cluster of thunderstorms that produces destructive wind gusts for hundreds of miles.
WHAT IS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM?
To be classified as a derecho, the swath of straight-line wind damage caused by the storm needs to be more than 62 miles wide, cover a distance of at least 400 miles and include wind gust reports stronger than 58 mph along most of its path.
According to Bentley, this storm didn't meet the width requirement to qualify as an official derecho, but it otherwise met the event's destructive criteria.
Storm reports and past radar.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
The powerful windstorm also produced a confirmed tornado in Marshall County, South Dakota, in addition to Severe Thunderstorm Warnings across South Dakota, North Dakota and parts of Minnesota on Monday.
The strength of this thunderstorm prompted the SPC to increase Monday's severe weather risk to a Level 3 out of 5 for parts of the Upper Midwest.
Destructive South Dakota storm that produced 131 mph wind gust classified as a derecho
A long-lived thunderstorm that left a trail of destruction across parts of the Upper Midwest, including a 131-mph wind gust, has been officially classified as a derecho. The storm carved a 590-mile path that began in northern Nebraska early Monday morning before tracking across parts of South Dakota and Minnesota.
This follows severe storms that slammed the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana over the weekend.
Meanwhile, a heat dome is developing over much of the central and eastern part of the country through the week, that will send temperatures skyrocketing well into the 90s.
Severe storms will be forced around the northern part of this heat dome, bringing a low-end flash flood threat to parts of the Upper Midwest through Thursday where storms repeatedly track over the same areas.
Stay with FOX Weather for the latest forecasts as severe storms ramp up.