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McPherson County, South Dakota

18 topographic sheets cover 10 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

2 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

South Dakota within the United States
McPherson County within South Dakota

What the record shows

  • 75 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 10 populated places in this county; 10 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

2

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Amos Hoffman Housebuilding198686001476
McPherson County Courthousebuilding198686003020

Wildfire, 1998 to 2020

204 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 204 of them, burning about 10,354 acres. 40 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use67
Debris and open burning55
Natural40
Missing data/not specified/undetermined32
Other causes3
Smoking2
Fireworks2
Recreation and ceremony1
Railroad operations and maintenance1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
23 August 2003Missing data/not specified/undetermined2,700 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionJOEL BERTSCH 2
24 March 2004Debris and open burning1,200 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionALLEN STUECKLE
3 April 2008Equipment and vehicle use1,000 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
5 October 2011Equipment and vehicle use1,000 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionGRASSLAND COLONY
14 May 2009Debris and open burning300 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
13 April 2006Debris and open burning300 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
11 July 2006Equipment and vehicle use250 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
10 April 2015Debris and open burning200 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionGRASS FIRE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2026

60 of 386 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 386 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 5 injuries and about $3,493,360 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail196
Thunderstorm Wind135
Tornado27
Flood10
Flash Flood7
Funnel Cloud7
Lightning2
Wildfire1
Heavy Rain1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1966Tornado (F3)not stated2 killed, 4 hurt, $250,000no account filed
August 2006Tornado (F3)Eureka1 hurtA supercell thunderstorm produced an F3 tornado in southwest Mcpherson county. The tornado was on the ground for nearly a half hour and covered about 14 miles. The tornado touched down near the Campbell county line. There were four different sites damaged with the greatest damage 8 miles south of Eureka and 2 miles southeast of Hillsview. Damage included numerous power poles snapped off, trees shredded of leaves, bark and/or uprooted. Numerous livestock and deer were killed. Devastating damage was observed to farm equipment, homes, barns, grain bins, and vehicles. A well anchored mobile home was completely destroyed. Debris from each site was observed up to 3 miles away. One person received minor scrapes and bruises.
June 1979Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
July 1977Tornadonot stated$250,000no account filed
June 1961Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 2019FloodGreenway$67,800no account filed
May 2018Flash FloodLong Lake$54,000no account filed
August 2008Flash FloodSpring Creek Colony$40,000Heavy rain caused flash flooding of a farm and surrounding crops and roads 10 miles north northeast of Leola. Water flowed into the basement of the home and severely damaged or destroyed the basement and everything in it.
August 1963Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1962Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
September 1961Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1994Thunderstorm WindLeola$5,000Thunderstorm Winds uprooted some trees.
August 2020LightningEureka$1,000Lightning struck the roof of a garage, putting a large hole in it. There was smoke, but no fire.
August 1993HailLeola$500no account filed
September 1991Tornado (F1)not stated$30no account filed
July 1966Tornado (F1)not stated$30no account filed
April 2026Thunderstorm WindEureka Muni Arpt-A trained spotter reported power poles snapped due to thunderstorm wind gusts 6 miles north northeast of Eureka. 615 customers lost power with this system in McPherson county.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindEureka-A trained spotter estimated winds topped out at 50 to 60 mph.
August 2025Tornado (EFU)Leola-The Leola fire department observed a brief touchdown in an open field. No damage was observed.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindLong Lake-A trained spotter 5 miles west of Long Lake estimated thunderstorm winds at 50 to 60 mph.
August 2025HailLanglake-Quarter sized hail accompanied thunderstorm winds resulting in crop and garden produce damage.
May 2024Funnel CloudLeola-The public relayed through Facebook the presence of a funnel cloud near the town of Leola.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindEureka-A member of the public reported that thunderstorm wind gusts had torn shingled off of a roof.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindHillsview-The public relayed through Facebook that they estimated the thunderstorm wind gusts at around 60 mph.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindHillsview-A member of the public estimates thunderstorm winds reached approximately 60 mph.
August 2023HailHillsview-Hail to the size of quarters combined with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph resulted in significant crop damage 2 mines north northeast of Hillsview.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindLong Lake Colony-School playground equipment damaged.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Paint damage to side of house by wind blown hail. Hail size is unknown.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Thunderstorm winds were strong enough to blow the property off of this individuals patio.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindHillsview-The report was relayed via social media.
July 2022Heavy RainHillsview-The public reported an estimated rainfall amount of 6 inches.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindLeola-The wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
June 2022HailLeola-The report of severe hail came from mPING.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Large trees and power polls were downed by significant straight-line wind, and grain bins were severely damaged. The time of the wind was estimated by radar.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindLeola-A personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 79 mph.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindLeola-A machine shed was destroyed, a stave silo partially destroyed, farm equipment was displaced, machine shed doors pushed in, multiple grain bins dented and widespread tree damage occurred.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindLeola-Wind blew in a shop/shed door and blew off the shop/shed's tin roof. It also blew a grain bin off its base, and snapped a pole in half.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindLong Lake-A roof was peeled off of a building by estimated 70 mph winds.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindLanglake-Sixty mph winds were estimated.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindHillsview-Estimated 70 mph winds took all or part of the roofs off of several sheds along with tipping over a grain bin auger.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindLeola-Estimated 80 mph winds caused damage along the south side of Leola including an unroofed barn, tipped grain bins, downed tree branches, tipped camper, and destroyed pole barn. Debris was sent flying into the home of a local resident with no injuries reported.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindSpring Creek Colony-A wind power company measured a 90 mph wind gust.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindSpring Creek Colony-Seventy mph winds were estimated.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Multiple rounds of severe winds occurred at the residence. There were very strong winds from the northwest along with south winds from the storm inflow. The most significant damage was done to a machine shop which lost the majority of the roof and walls. Farm machinery was damaged including a seed drill which was rotated and a feed wagon which was rolled onto its side. An old barn was toppled. This damage primarily spread from northwest to southeast. Finally, a small outbuilding was tossed back to the north, likely from the strong southerly inflow winds.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindLong Lake Colony-Significant damage occurred to the Long Lake Hutterite Colony. Witnesses said two rounds of wind caused damage to the property. Southerly storm inflow winds ripped multiple roof panels off four separate turkey barns. Debris was spread to the west northwest. Additional damage was done to a feed mill and a machine shed was completely destroyed. Debris from these buildings was tossed from north northwest to south southeast. Other grain bin damage also occurred. The total path length was about a half mile or slightly more.
July 2020Flash FloodSpring Creek Colony-Many county roads were underwater in northeast Mcpherson county due to flash flooding from very heavy rainfall.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindLeola-Estimated eighty mph wind downed a tree and collapsed a garage.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Estimated ninety mph winds brought several power poles down, trees and branches down, took part of a shop roof off, along with hay bales blown into different pastures.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Tree and building damage from estimated eighty mph winds.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindLong Lake Colony-Estimated ninety mph winds removed panels from a turkey barn roof and damaged a feed mill. A fire truck was completely destroyed.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Estimated ninety mph winds destroyed a machine shed, an old barn, along with other outbuildings.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Estimated ninety mph winds tore the roof off a trailer home and uprooted trees.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Significant damage was done to a machine shed by estimated eighty mph winds.
July 2020Tornado (EF2)Wetonka-A tornado touched down 3 miles north northwest of Wetonka causing significant damage to the Grassland Hutterite Colony. A large machine shop lost the roof and wall. A large, empty, anchored grain bin was completely removed from its base and the adjacent feed mill was significantly damaged. A 400 foot by 80 foot turkey barn was completely destroyed along with a smaller outbuilding. Debris from these two buildings was scattered in many directions. A trailer was flipped, freight storage unit rotated and two other outbuildings had complete loss of roof panels. Roof and siding damage occurred to many of the residential buildings. Tree and crop damage had also occurred. The tornado tracked over 2 miles southeast, crossing Mcpherson County Highway 23 and ending about one mile north northeast of Wetonka. Debris from the Grassland Colony was dispersed along the entire track of the tornado.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindEureka-Estimated seventy-five mph winds blew the roof off a wood frame quonset with additional roof damage on a second outbuilding.
March 2019FloodGreenway-Snowmelt flooded several roads in Mcpherson county with some buildings threatened or flooded. On March 30th, County Road 23 two miles south of Highway 10 went underwater and was closed.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindLong Lake-Estimated ninety mph winds took a third of the roof off a machine shed and damaged a grain bin.
May 2018HailEureka Muni Arpt-Nickel hail piled up to three inches deep in places.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindWetonka-Sixty mph winds were estimated.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindMadra-Estimated ninety mph winds toppled several trees, downed a power line, and moved a semi.

Mines and quarries

3 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 1 is closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction3

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Glaesman Pit & MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Obenauer Sand and GravelSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Schnabal PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every populated place in the county

10

Named 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.