A powerful tornado touched down west of Watertown, South Dakota, on July 27, 2025, causing significant damage and prompting widespread warnings across Codington, Lincoln, Minnehaha, and surrounding counties. Dramatic footage captured by storm chaser Tanner Charles showed a massive rotating funnel cloud destroying at least one building and damaging other structures.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm watches throughout the evening for multiple areas, including Codington, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Union, and McCook counties. These warnings lasted into the night, with the last of them expiring by 11:50 p.m.
Following the tornado, emergency responders began search and rescue operations. Charles, who arrived soon after the tornado passed, reported, “We arrived at a destroyed home and began search and rescue. Thankfully, no one was home. But you never know what you’re walking into. It’s moments like this that remind you how fragile life can be.”
Significant damage was reported in Lincoln County, particularly in the town of Hudson, though officials have not yet been able to fully access the area. The city of Lennox advised residents to stay indoors and delay cleanup until daylight while first responders assessed damage. Canton residents received similar instructions, and local volunteers planned debris removal efforts starting the morning of July 29.
Power outages were widespread, with Xcel Energy reporting over 2,000 customers without power in Sioux Falls, 824 in Lennox, and nearly 1,200 in Canton. The Sioux Falls emergency manager noted that damage in the city was mostly limited to downed trees, branches, and some power lines, with outages primarily concentrated west and south of the city.
Storms had been intensifying throughout the afternoon and evening, with multiple tornado warnings issued for locations including Plankinton, White Lake, Stickney, Bonesteel, Saint Charles, and others in central and eastern South Dakota. Severe thunderstorm warnings, some with wind gusts up to 80 mph, also covered large parts of the region.
Wide angle shot of the tornado west of Watertown, South Dakota last night. One of the most jaw-dropping moments of my life. pic.twitter.com/2hHuijy8CD
— Alex Resel 📸 (@aresel_) July 29, 2025
Meteorologist and storm chaser Reed Timmer documented three tornadoes, a wildfire, and large hail in eastern South Dakota earlier on July 27. The NWS warned of a potential derecho—a widespread, long-lived windstorm capable of producing hurricane-force winds—threatening Sioux Falls and nearby areas later that evening, with a 45% chance of winds reaching 80 mph or greater.
In addition to severe winds, there was a 15% chance of hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and a small chance (5%) of additional tornadoes. Heavy rainfall of 1–3 inches was also possible in localized spots. An extreme heat warning was still in effect until 8 p.m. on July 28, with heat indices exceeding 105°F in some locations.
By late evening on July 28, all warnings and watches had expired. Local news outlets planned to provide damage updates on July 29 for Lincoln and Minnehaha counties as cleanup and recovery efforts continued.
