BlockBefore

Ralph, South Dakota

6 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1980. It stands in the North Harding unorganized territory. It lies in ZIP code area 57650. The Survey maps it on the Ralph quadrangle. It stands 2,736 feet above sea level.

Ralph within Harding County

On record in Ralph

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 3 records

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 6 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

5 since 1999

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of Ralph between 1999 and 2018, burning about 83 acres in total. 1 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
Equipment and vehicle use1
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1
Other causes1
Natural1
Debris and open burning1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
5 August 2018Equipment and vehicle use20 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionWAGNER ROAD FIRE
5 August 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined15 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionJUELFS FIRE
20 August 2000Other causes45 acresSorum/Reva Volunteer Fire DepartmentDOLL 1
12 July 2013Naturalunder an acreHarding CountyRISTY STACK
12 April 1999Debris and open burning3.0 acresColome Volunteer Fire DepartmentR.C. STENSEN

Every fire recorded in Harding County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Ralph: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Reva Quad - Deposit 7Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Harding County

Storms near this place

60 of 65 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ralph in 65 storm reports between 2000 and 2025: 35 hail, 29 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2008FloodRalph$100,000The Little Missouri River at Camp Crook crested at 14.04 feet, about 2 feet above flood stage. Minor flooding was reported around Camp Crook, Redig, and along the north fork of the Moreau River. Highway 79 was closed from Reva, south to the Butte County line.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindRalph$20,000The combination of hail and wind broke windows, destroyed a Quonset hut, and blew several 1700 pound hay bales off a stack.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindRalph$10,000Strong winds blew 500 gallon tanks off their stands, destroyed a Quonset hut, and moved a mobile home off its foundation.
September 2013HailRalph$5,000The combination of large hail and gusty winds broke windows and skylights in a home and destroyed a garden.
September 2013HailRalph$5,000no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD mesonet recorded wind gust.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD mesonet recorded wind gust.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD mesonet recorded wind gust.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD mesonet recorded wind gust.
June 2025HailRalph-Public reported large hail.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD Mesonet recorded wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindRalph-SD Mesonet recorded wind gust.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts as high as 84 mph were recorded.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
June 2022HailRalph-Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph accompanied the storm.
August 2019HailRalph-Hail and wind gusts to 50 mph destroyed much of the wheat crop.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindRalph-The sportter estimated wind gusts at 60 mph.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindRalph-Spotter estimated wind gusts around 60 mph.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated between 50 and 70 mph.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindRalph-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
July 2000HailRalph-Over 2,000 acres of crops were damaged by the large hail.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
June 2024HailRalph-no account filed
July 2023Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
July 2023HailRalph-no account filed
July 2022HailRalph-no account filed
June 2022HailRalph-no account filed
July 2021Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
August 2021Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
July 2020Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
July 2020Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
July 2020HailRalph-no account filed
July 2020HailRalph-no account filed
June 2020Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
July 2019Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
August 2019Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
August 2019HailRalph-no account filed
June 2018HailRalph-no account filed
June 2015HailRalph-no account filed
July 2014HailRalph-no account filed
July 2014HailRalph-no account filed
May 2013HailRalph-no account filed
May 2013HailRalph-no account filed
September 2013HailRalph-no account filed
June 2012HailRalph-no account filed
July 2011HailRalph-no account filed
August 2011HailRalph-no account filed
August 2011HailRalph-no account filed
July 2010HailRalph-no account filed
June 2008HailRalph-no account filed
June 2005HailRalph-no account filed
July 2005HailRalph-no account filed
July 2005HailRalph-no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindRalph-no account filed
September 2005HailRalph-no account filed
July 2004HailRalph-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Harding County

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.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Reva16.0 miles8
Ludlow16.9 miles8
Buffalo28.7 miles6
Karinen33.4 miles6
Ladner35.3 miles6
Redig43.2 miles6
Harding48.3 miles7
Camp Crook50.6 miles8

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 RalphAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q7287122The 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 1261059. 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.