Burke, South Dakota
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the West Gregory unorganized territory. It lies in ZIP code area 57523. The Survey maps it on the Burke quadrangle. 575 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,195 feet above sea level.
On record in Burke
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
- Gregory County Courthouselisted 2021
Population over time
2 figuresBurke fell from 604 to 575 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 604 | |
| 2020 | 575 | -29 (-5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 8 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1955 USGS Mitchell quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Mitchell quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1964 USGS Burke quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Winner quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1990 USGS Mitchell quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
17 since 2002Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 17 fires within 5 miles of Burke between 2002 and 2020, burning about 166 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 13 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 September 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 25 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | ELLWANGER |
| 29 July 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Burke Volunteer Fire Department | GOLF COURSE |
| 28 July 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 26 July 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Gregory County | JOHNSON 2 |
| 25 July 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Gregory County | JOHNSON |
| 24 July 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.9 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 4 June 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.5 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | VOSIKA DITCH FIRE |
| 27 June 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Burke Volunteer Fire Department | OPPERMAN |
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Burke: 1 producer, 1 past producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Cahill Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
48 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Burke in 48 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 32 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Burke | 2 hurt, $7,000,000 | A tornado developed and touched down in the heart of town near Washington and 7th streets, causing damage to several trees at the touchdown point. Shortly after, the tornado severely damaged several structures while tracking south, including leveling several buildings at the lumber yard, destroying the civic center, and causing significant damage to the school. The start of the school year was delayed by two weeks due to extent of the damage. Two people were (directly) injured by debris when a garage collapsed on them while moving vehicles to safety. Numerous power transmission poles and lines were removed by the tornado. Around 2 miles south southeast of Burke, the tornado struck a residence causing severe damage to the roof. Shortly thereafter, the tornado lifted before reaching the intersection of 295th Street and 345th Avenue after traveling a bit less than 4 miles. The path width reached a maximum of 75 yards within the city of Burke. Up to 3000 trees were damaged by the tornado in and near Burke. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | $100,000 | A metal building was destroyed by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | $50,000 | A radio antenna tower and many trees were blown down. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | $25,000 | Numerous large branches were brought down on power transmission lines in the city of Burke. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Burke | $5,000 | Large hail severely damaged 500 acres of oat, corn, and sunflower crops on one farm. The amount of crop damage was not known. The hail also broke windows on one side of a house on the farm, and damaged the siding and roof of the house. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Burke | - | Hail occurred for 15 minutes, as size varied from quarters to golf balls. Most hail was quarter to half-dollar size. |
| September 2021 | Hail | Burke | - | Hail was accompanied by strong wind, but there was no damage. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Winds downed at least six large pine, spruce and cedar trees. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Thunderstorm winds flattened corn, laying to the southwest. |
| July 2018 | Flash Flood | Burke | - | With over 2.50 inches rainfall by 1800CST, water was flowing well over the curbs in Burke. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Thunderstorm winds blew deck furniture across a yard and caused tree damage. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including numerous limbs blown down. |
| August 2009 | Hail | Burke | - | Large hail damaged vehicles and broke windows, and damaged area crops. The amount of local property and crop damage was not known; the hail being part of a long swath that affected part of the county. The hail was accompanied by wind gusts up to 60 mph. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Large hail caused tree damage, including 30 year old trees blown down. The winds were accompanied by large hail, and added to crop damage in the area caused by the hail. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | A damaging thunderstorm wind gust was measured by a privately owned anemometer. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Burke | - | Heavy rain caused flash flooding of several roads and fields. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including a few large limbs blown down. |
| April 2007 | Hail | Burke | - | Large hail up to baseball size covered the ground. The hail caused extensive damage to vehicles, windows, siding, and roofs. Most of the roofs in the town of Burke were determined to need replacement as the sheeting under the shingles was severely damaged. The amount of the damage was not yet determined. |
| August 2005 | Hail | Burke | - | Hail covered the ground. |
| August 2004 | Hail | Burke | - | Large hail was mostly dime size, with a few golf ball size stones. |
| August 2002 | Hail | Burke | - | Large hail caused an unknown amount of damage to windows, vehicles, and crops. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| September 2007 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Burke | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burke | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Burke | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2725777 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1254165. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.




