South Dakota

Three people killed in North Dakota after tornado hits upper midwest

Published

9 months ago

June 21, 2025

Three people killed in North Dakota after tornado hits upper midwest

Powerful winds – including a tornado – that swept across parts of the upper midwest left three people dead and a regional airport heavily damaged, while nearly 150 million Americans were under a heat advisory or warning as the weekend warmed up in much of the US.

A complex storm system wreaked havoc in parts of North Dakota, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, with reported tornadic activity, large hail and strong wind gusts, according to Brian Hurley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

Cass county sheriff Jesse Jahner said at a news conference Saturday that two men and a woman were killed late Friday at two locations around the town of Enderlin, North Dakota, about 40 miles (60km) south-west of Fargo. Thousands of households lost power.

Hours earlier the National Weather Service in Grand Forks confirmed on social media that two deaths were attributed to a tornado that hit a home.

Timothy Lynch, lead forecaster with the NWS office in Grand Forks, said the storm was confirmed as a tornado but crews were still working to determine its strength and highest wind speeds. He said the storm impacted the neighboring counties of Cass and Ransom.

“We still have people out investigating and gathering information on what happened. It was a pretty major event,” Lynch told the Associated Press.

Governor Kelly Armstrong said in a statement that the NWS confirmed a second tornado touched down near Spiritwood, which is about 80 miles (130km) west of Fargo. Armstrong issued a statewide disaster declaration to respond to the damage.

Heavy winds also swept across localized areas of Minnesota, and the NWS reported wind gusts of up to 106mph (171km/h) at Bemidji regional airport overnight.

“I cannot ever recall hearing a rushing wind like that!” Bemidji mayor Jorge Prince posted on Facebook in the early hours of Saturday. “Emerged from our basement to find our neighborhood with lots of trees down and several homes with severe damage.”

Prince also said officials were responding to many knocked down power lines and several gas line leaks. Localized torrential rain flooded the city’s downtown and stalled vehicles, Beltrami county emergency management director Christopher Muller said.

Many Bemidji-area businesses posted on social media to say they were without power and closed for the day. Muller warned people to prepare for “long-term power outages” because of damage to infrastructure.

Hurley said that same storm moved on in a weakened state to parts of Michigan. It was expected to cross over lower Ontario and back into the United States to hit upstate New York on Saturday night into Sunday.

“Still wind and hail threat,” Hurley said of the enhanced risk to upstate New York. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be as robust perhaps as we saw last night.”

Warm and dry conditions coupled with frequent thunderstorms and lightning have resulted in more than 100 fires in the state since Wednesday.

“A lot of those fires are in vast wilderness areas of Alaska where fire is allowed to take its natural course,” said Sam Harrel, an information officer with the state’s Division of Forestry and Fire Protection.

But some fires were threatening populated areas, prompting evacuations in the interior region. Among them was a go order issued Friday for areas near Fairbanks, according to Harrel.

A fire burning about 30 miles (50km) north of the entrance to Denali national park and preserve also prompted an evacuation “due to escalating fire conditions”, the Denali Borough said via Facebook.

“Numerous structures are now imminently threatened so aircraft including Air Tankers and helicopters are supporting the fire with retardant and water drops,” the borough added.

Harrel said the fire was not affecting the status of the park but the smoke could worsen air quality for visitors.

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South Dakota

USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms

Published

12 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering financial and technical assistance to South Dakota farmers and livestock producers who may have been impacted by the recent winter storms.

“I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.” said Richard Fordyce, Production and Conservation Under Secretary.

FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners with financial assistance to restore damaged land and conservation structures or forests.

“Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop methods that focus on effective recovery of the land.” said Jessica Michalski, Acting NRCS State Conservationist in South Dakota.

For more information about the disaster assistance program, click here.

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South Dakota

Plaque unveiled at South Dakota Capitol for 100-year-old Medal of Honor recipient

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Plaque unveiled at South Dakota Capitol for 100-year-old Medal of Honor recipient

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, left, and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen unveil a plaque for retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams in the Hall of Honor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight)

By:Meghan O’Brien

PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) — There’s a new name in the South Dakota Hall of Honor at the state Capitol building.

One-hundred-year-old South Dakota native and retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams was celebrated at a Wednesday ceremony where a plaque honoring him was unveiled, although Williams did not attend.

“In spite of being outnumbered and facing incredible danger, Captain Williams engaged the enemy with courage and skill,” said Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. “Our state has always had a strong tradition of service, and Captain Williams is the very best of that tradition.”

President Donald Trump awarded Williams the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor, at the State of the Union address earlier this year. The medal honors actions by Williams that had been classified for decades.

“His story was secret for over 50 years, he didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew,” Trump said during the speech in February. “But tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”

On Nov. 18, 1952, over Korean coastal waters during the Korean War, then-Lt. Williams, from Wilmot, South Dakota, led three F9F Panthers against seven Soviet MiG-15s. He disabled three enemy jets and damaged a fourth.

The Soviet jets, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, were “superior to the F9F in almost every fashion.” The mission was the only direct overwater combat between U.S. Navy fighters and Soviet fighters during the Cold War.

Williams, one of 11 Medal of Honor recipients from South Dakota, now lives in California. The Hall of Honor at the South Dakota Capitol is located in the hallway that visitors enter immediately after going through security.

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South Dakota

Red Flag Warnings issued for parts of Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota

Published

2 days ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Red Flag Warnings issued for parts of Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota

Red Flag Warnings are in effect across parts of the central High Plains and adjacent Rocky Mountain region on March 25, 2026, as meteorological conditions support critical fire weather across portions of Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, and nearby areas.

The National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Cheyenne, Riverton, North Platte, Rapid City, Billings, Missoula, Grand Junction, and Hastings issued multiple coordinated warnings covering numerous fire weather zones, with the most widespread period of concern from late morning through the evening hours. In several areas of Nebraska and Wyoming, warnings extend into March 26.

Sustained west to southwest winds of 25–65 km/h (15–40 mph), with gusts reaching 65–95 km/h (40–60 mph), are forecast across much of the region. The strongest winds are expected in parts of Wyoming and Montana, including mountainous and foothill areas, where gusts may locally reach 95 km/h (60 mph).

Relative humidity values are forecast to drop to between 10–20% during peak heating, with some locations reporting minimum values near 10–12%.

Temperatures are expected to rise well above seasonal averages, with highs reaching the upper 20s to low 30s °C (upper 70s to lower 90s °F) across parts of Nebraska, Wyoming, and surrounding regions. This combination of warm temperatures and dry fuels significantly enhances the potential for ignition and rapid fire spread.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) identified a Critical Fire Weather area in its Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook for parts of central and eastern Wyoming into far western Nebraska and extreme southwest South Dakota, citing a strengthening surface pressure gradient and strong mid-level winds contributing to sustained surface winds of approximately 30–40 km/h (20–25 mph) and relative humidity near 15%.

March 25, 2026, Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook affected area. Credit: NWS

The fire weather threat is forecast to shift southward in the coming days. The SPC Day 2 outlook highlights critical fire weather conditions across central New Mexico into the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and northwest Oklahoma, where low relative humidity and strengthening winds are expected to persist.

Additional hazards include the potential for isolated dry lightning, particularly across portions of western Nebraska and surrounding areas during the late afternoon and evening. Any lightning strikes in dry fuels may act as ignition sources, while associated outflow winds could lead to erratic fire behavior.

Mar 25, 2026 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook — March 25, 2026, Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook affected area. Credit: NWS

A cold front is forecast to move through the region late on March 25 into early March 26, bringing an abrupt wind shift from westerly to northerly directions with continued gusts of 30–70 km/h (20–45 mph). While cooler temperatures and slightly higher humidity may follow the frontal passage, the wind shift could exacerbate fire behavior in ongoing incidents.

Late March marks the beginning of the peak fire weather season across the central High Plains and adjacent regions, when dormant grasses and dry vegetation are highly receptive to ignition. Combined with frequent strong wind events and low humidity, this seasonal pattern increases the likelihood of fast-moving grassland fires.

Authorities advise against outdoor burning during the warning period, as even small ignition sources may lead to rapidly spreading fires under the prevailing conditions.

References:

¹Mar 25, 2026 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook – NWS – March 25, 2026

² Mar 25, 2026 Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook – NWS – March 25, 2026

³ Day 3-8 Fire Weather Outlook Issued on Mar 24, 2026 – NWS – March 24, 2026

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