BlockFrom the record
10 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Deuel County, South Dakota
21 topographic sheets cover 11 settlements here, and 10 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 91 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 10 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 7 buildings, 2 structures and 1 district.
- 3 of the 10 listings were added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 11 populated places in this county; 11 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
10Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Deuel County Courthouse and Jail | building | 1976 | 76001730 |
| East Highland Lutheran Church | building | 2000 | 00000120 | |
| First National Bank | building | 1977 | 77001242 | |
| Herrick Barn | building | 2005 | 05000628 | |
| Hoffman Barn | building | 2005 | 05001188 | |
| Kliegle Garage | building | 1999 | 99001213 | |
| Odd Fellows Building | building | 1976 | 76001731 | |
| Old Cochrane Road Bridge | structure | 1993 | 93001268 | |
| South Dakota Dept. of Transportation Bridge No. 20-153-210 | structure | 1993 | 93001286 | |
| South Dakota School for the Blind | district | 1988 | 88000570 |
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
85 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 85 of them, burning about 4,600 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 41 |
| Debris and open burning | 29 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 March 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,100 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | MUD LAKE/BAR X |
| 6 May 2008 | Debris and open burning | 613 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 6 May 2009 | Debris and open burning | 345 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 4 May 2009 | Debris and open burning | 200 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 14 July 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 190 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 14 May 2008 | Debris and open burning | 187 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 23 March 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 160 acres | Waubay National Wildlife Refuge | KADINGER |
| 14 May 2008 | Debris and open burning | 100 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1956 to 2025
60 of 264 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 264 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 4 injuries and about $639,200 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 107 |
| Hail | 99 |
| Tornado | 36 |
| Flash Flood | 8 |
| Flood | 8 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 |
| Lightning | 2 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | Tornado (EF3) | Clear Lake | 2 hurt | A tornado developed east of Clear Lake, South Dakota, on the evening of June 28, 2025. Around 8:10 p.m., the tornado was still in a disorganized stage but was strong enough to intermittently touch down, rip a roof and door off of a barn and flip irrigation pivots on the north side of Highway 22 about two and a half miles east of Clear Lake. By approximately 8:14 p.m., the tornado crossed to the south side of Highway 22 and began to intensify. From there, it tracked slowly eastward, frequently changing appearance. Numerous reports, photos, and videos captured the tornado shapeshifting, including a distinct wobble or dancing motion. During this time, the tornado passed over a gravel pit, where large trees were snapped and windows were broken out of heavy machinery. Continuing east, the tornado reached 483rd Avenue, where it caused additional tree damage. Around 8:26 to 8:27 p.m., it crossed back to the north side of Highway 22, briefly stalled, and brought down a power pole. The tornado then picked up speed and continued east toward a farmstead on 484th Avenue, arriving around 8:31 p.m. The core of the tornado passed just north of the main house, but the property still sustained significant damage. A portion of the house roof panels were ripped off and windows were broken out. A machine shed was completely destroyed, along with a garage and another outbuilding. The shelterbelt on the north side of the property was heavily damaged, with tree trunks snapped, trees uprooted, and large branches broken. Around 8:32 p.m., the tornado continued east, passing north of another farmstead where a single shed was destroyed. Then, at approximately 8:34 p.m., the tornado directly struck a farmstead. Evidence of ground scouring was visible in the field before the tornado reached the property. As it approached, it tore through a wide shelterbelt, snapping and uprooting trees and completely blocking the driveway with debris. The house, which included the original structure that was over a century old combined with a newer addition, was completely wiped from its foundation. The debris was thrown west. The residents sheltered in the basement, where hay bales were lofted into the air and landed on top of them. Despite the extreme damage, only two non-life-threatening injuries were reported. A garage and machine shed directly east of the house were also completely swept off their slabs. An SUV and a half-ton Chevy Silverado pickup were inside the garage. Another SUV was parked outside. The two SUVs were lofted and ended up wedged in trees approximately 50 to 60 yards northeast of where the garage once stood. Many of those trees exhibited debarking. The half-ton Chevy Silverado pickup was hurled nearly 300 yards northeast. The truck's rear axle was torn completely off during flight, with no evidence of the vehicle rolling or tumbling until it hit the ground. A horse trailer and other farm equipment in and next to the machine shed were also thrown into the shelterbelt. On the south side of the property, two empty metal grain bins were wiped clean from their foundations. A concrete foundation barn was dismantled, a pole barn collapsed, and an empty concrete silo was completely swept from its slab. As the track continued northeast, fence posts were sheared off at ground level, and large pieces of debris were driven into the crop ground with extreme force. A trail of debris was scattered into the adjacent fields. The tornado track turned more to the north-northeast as it crossed 181st Street. More tree damage was observed, with trunks snapped and large branches down. Debris was caught in fence lines, and hay was seen hanging from power lines in the area. The tornado crossed 180th street and somewhere around 8:45 p.m. it began to rope out, swirling over an open field and tracking back to the southwest. It finally lifted around 8:49 p.m., concluding a nearly 40-minute track that stretched roughly 9.71 miles. The tornado was rated as a high-end EF3 with wind speeds estimated between 155 to 165 mph. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF2) | Gary | 1 hurt | One mile south of Gary, SD a farm sustained significant tornado damage. The home on the property lost the entire roof, along with most of the external walls on the main floor of the house. Only a portion of the internal walls remained standing. The resident home|at the time was able to make it to the basement, however did sustain minor injuries when a refrigerator from the main floor fell down through the ceiling. The attached garage was completely blown off the foundation, and the pickup in the garage was pushed at least 6 feet from where it was originally parked. Nearby outbuildings sustained roof damage, including a hole in one roof that was likely caused from flying debris. The tornado continued to track north northeast of the farm into an open corn stubble field. Rotation was noted in the stubble. The debris track was spread across the field with large pieces of wood and other construction materials pierced vertically into the ground. Further to the north northeast a semi was turned 180 degrees and flipped|on its side. The debris path continued across 180th Street and was last noted in a tree grove approximately 0.3 miles from the residence. The resident also noted that the family dog was seen being swept out of the house during the tornado, but was later |found safe with only minor injuries after walking to a neighbor's farm about one mile away. |
| April 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| March 2009 | Flash Flood | Johnsonville | $200,000 | Twenty road locations across Deuel county were washed out by the flash flooding with around 200 thousand dollars in damages. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | $193,000 | Eighty mph winds caused major tree damage along with some structural damage in and around Clear Lake. The roof of the bowling alley was severely damaged with the ITC storage shed tilted to it's side. |
| April 2019 | Flood | Goodwin | $128,700 | no account filed |
| July 1986 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1977 | Tornado | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | $20,000 | Very heavy rains caused flash flooding of several roads in and around Clear Lake. Some culverts were also washed out. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Astoria | $20,000 | A tornado touched down on a farm, uprooting and snapping trees. Every tree on the property was damaged in some way. The tornadic winds drove 2 inch branches underneath the tires of a goose neck trailer with a load of culverts aboard. The wind also drove 2 inch thick tree branches through a metal 40" by 72" quonset, leaving a hole three feet long. Also, 3 walls of a machine shed were blown down, 2 pickups were damaged and metal culverts were thrown about and twisted. A wheelbarrow was pushed for 15 feet, tipping over a motorcycle. Two overhead doors were blown out and one was bashed, damaging a camper. Path length and width were estimated. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Clear Lake | $10,000 | A road partly washed out from flash flooding due to heavy rainfall. Water was still over the road the next day. |
| October 2021 | Lightning | Clear Lake | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $5,000 | Thunderstorm Winds blew down large tree branches. |
| June 1971 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Gary | - | A brief, short lived tornado touched down in an open field. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | A trained spotter sent in images of crop damage due to quarter sized hail. |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EF2) | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | At approximately 6:53 p.m. on June 28, 2025, a tornado touched down in a field about five miles northwest of Clear Lake, just south of an unoccupied farmstead. While no full-time residents lived on the property, the house was still used intermittently as a family cabin. As the tornado approached, it first tore through an expansive shelterbelt, snapping and uprooting numerous trees as it closed in on the property. The tornado then flipped a shipping container used for storage including lawnmowers, grills, and outdoor furniture. A nearby shed was completely destroyed, and an empty concrete stave silo was toppled. When the tornado reached the house, the winds were powerful enough to shift the structure entirely off its century-old foundation. Significant tree damage continued on the north side of the property as the tornado moved through the remaining shelterbelt. From there, the tornado tracked northeast, snapping more trees as it crossed 178th street. It continued north northeast crossing both 177th and 176th streets near Lake Coteau. Eyewitnesses near Lake Coteau reported seeing the tornado as well as damage that included twisted road signs. The tornado lifted around 7:08 p.m., ending a 15-minute path that stretched approximately 3.4 miles. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Toronto | - | A trained spotter estimated winds topped 60 mph resulting in bent trees and several fallen branches. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnsonville | - | The Deuel County Emergency Manager reported that thunderstorm winds, estimated between 60 and 70 mph tipped a semi-truck. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | The Deuel County Emergency Manager estimated 60 to 70 mph winds cause tree damage in the town of Clear Lake. These winds would also take down a residences partly constructed garage. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Johnsonville | - | A peak wind gust of 74 mph was measured by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) mesonet station 4 miles east northeast of Poinsett Colony. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tunerville | - | The South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station in Turnerville topped out at 68 mph. |
| August 2025 | Flood | Clear Lake | - | A trained spotter reported that Hidewood creek came out of banks due to heavy rain over the last several days. |
| August 2025 | Flood | Clear Lake | - | Photos posted to social media show several inches of standing water within the town of Clear Lake. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tunerville | - | The South Dakota Department of Transportation Mesonet station 4 miles north of Altamont recorded a wind gust of 60 mph. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Gary | - | A trained spotter 6 miles north of Gary reported that the combination of wind and hail damaged beans crops and the plants in his garden. |
| May 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Goodwin | - | A storm spotter posted photos of a rope tornado moving through pasture south of Strandburg. |
| September 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Johnsonville | - | A member of the public reported a brief tornado touchdown. No damage was noted. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gary | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts, measuring 102 mph by a personal weather station, also downed trees in the area. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF3) | Bemis | - | A grain bin in a field near 496th Ave and 179th Street was ripped from the base and tossed a mile to the northeast. Roughly three and a half miles northeast on 176th St a farmstead lost several outbuildings and had roof and window damage to the home. Another two miles to the northeast three metal truss transmission towers were damaged, one completely twisted and collapsed. The strongest winds were confined to the area of the transmission towers. Roughly three and a half miles northeast, just north of US Highway 212, a shed was destroyed and a path was noted through a shelterbelt. The very last indications of the tornado was north of 169th Street on 476th Ave where the path was noted through a shelter belt. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gary | - | Wind estimated at 70 mph brought down three large spruce trees, and a large limb fell onto a vehicle. Some light farm equipment was knocked over, and a steel garden shed was blown into the street. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | Trees and branches were downed by estimated 90 mph wind gusts. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | A clear path was observed through a tree grove. Additionally, farm machinery was tossed around on the property. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gary | - | A few branches were downed by severe winds. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | The roof of a pole barn was destroyed, and some poles were snapped with debris spread to the north. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Tunerville | - | A tornado touched down on the northeast side of Lake Alice|causing damage to a hunting lodge property. Evidence was first|noted in a corn stubble field where stubble was broken and|flattened. North of the corn field, several trees were uprooted|or snapped at the base. North from there, the main lodge house|lost half the roof covering and several roof panels on the west|side of the house. This resulted in rain damage inside the lodge.|On the west side of the property a family was in a camper when|they received warnings and decided to leave for a sturdier|shelter nearby. Minutes after they left the camper, it was picked|up and dropped on its roof. The family was not injured. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Astoria | - | Trees were downed and several houses were damaged by spotter-estimated 80 mph wind gusts. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF2) | Clear Lake | - | The first indications of tornado damage were just east of Interstate 29 near 186th Street. A farm had mangled tree branches through the tops of the shelter belt, a destroyed outbuilding, a west facing garage door and garage rafters bowed in and three pickups with the back windows broken out. The track continued a quarter mile to the north, where a second farm had uprooted trees, complete destruction of a machine shed and a collapsed barn. The main residence also had loss of shingles and the loss of a small portion of roof panels. The track continued northeast. The next residence to sustain damage was near 772nd Ave and 181st St. The tornado entered the farm from the west where it uprooted several trees and broke branches off the tops of others, a third of a roughly 300 foot long milk barn was leveled, one stave silo completely collapsed and a second was razed about half way to the base. Further east on the property a shelter belt was managed and an empty grain bin was tossed east northeast about a quarter mile into the neighboring field. An outbuilding south of the property also collapsed. Just shy of a mile to the northeast along 473rd Ave a machine shed buckled on the southwest side. Another quarter mile to the northeast another farm sustained significant damage. On this farm a tornado path was noted through the trees on the west side of house. Trees were uprooted and one tree twisted counter clockwise. On the main residence eight sheets of plywood were ripped off the roof and insulation was blown out of the attic. Roof material was found in trees and debris spread 200 or 300 yards to the north northeast. Residents were in the basement at the time and noticed that their ears popped. They also noted that water was drained from toilets and plumbing traps after the storm. Power lines were downed near 474th Ave. Another several miles to the northeast, near 179th Street and 475th Ave, another farm sustained significant damage. On the south side of the property several pieces of farm equipment were moved, tipped or tossed and a grain bin was dented. Trees were uprooted south of the house and the house sustained window damage. Walls collapsed on both a barn and machine shed on the property. Another smaller shed was also destroyed. A path of debris was noted about a quarter mile northeast of the property. The last property damaged by the tornado was located at 177th Street and US Highway 15. This property had tree damage and lost a shed. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Toronto | - | Several 2 to 4 inch tree branches were downed in town. The time of the wind was estimated based on radar. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Gary | - | A residence 2 miles northwest of Gary, SD had a barn roof damaged and a horse trailer rolled multiple times. A second residence, about 3 miles northwest of Gary, had a track of damage through their farm yard. An ash tree snapped at the trunk and fell on to the corner of the house. A single stall garage, which was bolted to the foundation, was lifted off the foundation and overturned. The vehicle in the garage was not damaged. A second garage to the north lost two thirds of its roof panels. Another machine shed|had a portion of the south wall pushed in. All debris from buildings was lofted to the northeast. A mostly empty grain bin was also ripped from the foundation and tossed across 485th Ave and into the neighboring field, coming to rest about 200 yards to|the northeast. Residents were without commercial power for two days. |
| May 2022 | Tornado (EF2) | Johnsonville | - | A large dairy barn lost a roof, a camper was tipped over and|several outbuildings sustained damage. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gary | - | Estimated 70 mph winds damaged trees. |
| September 2022 | Hail | Bemis | - | The hail was estimated to range between dime and quarter size. |
| September 2022 | Hail | Brandt | - | The hail was estimated to range between dime and quarter in size. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Astoria | - | Estimated eighty mph winds knocked down several trees along with downing many tree branches. |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | A very brief tornado touched down in a small corn plot 5 miles west of Clear Lake just south of 182nd street. Corn was completely flattened in a distinct convergent pattern. Some tree limb damage had also occurred. |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF1) | Clear Lake Muni Arpt | - | A brief tornado touchdown destroyed the roof and severely damaged the walls of a hog barn 5 miles west northwest of Clear Lake near 180th street. Debris from the roof was tossed a quarter mile to the north across the highway. Debris was also lodged in hay bales with hay bales damaged missing net wrap. |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Clear Lake | - | A very brief tornado touched down causing mainly tree damage at a residence. Large tree branches were broken and a few trees were uprooted. Some minor damage was also done to sheet metal on a small building. The track continued north of the residence, roughly one-half mile through a corn field. |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF0) | Clear Lake | - | A very brief tornado touched down in a farm yard. One small shed was completely destroyed, pulling the anchor posts out of the ground. One hay shed roof was destroyed and was tossed into the side of the barn. The barn lean to roof was partially damaged as well. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | Estimated ninety mph winds caused significant tree damage including trees uprooted and snapped at the base. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Astoria | - | Estimated eighty mph winds downed numerous trees. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Goodwin | - | Many county roads were flooded and closed throughout Deuel county. |
| June 2019 | Tornado (EF0) | Johnsonville | - | A rare anticyclonic tornado touched down northeast of Estelline during the evening and lasted less than a minute. The tornado moved east and knocked down seven trees and tossed tree branches to the south and west at a farmstead. One of the tree branches hit the corner of a shed and bent part of the metal overhang on the shed. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brandt | - | Estimated seventy mph winds downed several trees. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Toronto | - | Three trees were downed in Toronto by estimated seventy mph winds. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brandt | - | Calf shelter destroyed by estimated seventy mph winds. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | - | Estimated seventy mph winds flipped a pontoon boat along with downing branches and trees. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Astoria | - | Golf ball sized hail destroyed crops and damaged homes in and around Astoria. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Toronto | - | An estimated seventy mph wind along with hail layed downed and damaged several acres of corn. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altamont | - | Eighty mph winds downed several trees along with snapping several evergreens off just off the ground. |
Mines and quarries
8 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 8 workings inside this county. 5 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 8 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cafourek Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dave Gustafson & Co. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Deuel County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Paulson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Veron Lawrence Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
11Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Provenance
- Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
- Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
- Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
- Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
- Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
- Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.