August 24, 2006 South Dakota Tornado Outbreak

 

What an event!! After watching model run after model run I couldn't resist the 1700 mile round trip to eastern South Dakota from Denver to chase this one!!! I arrived in Sioux Falls, SD around 3 PM. I couldn't decide whether to sit tight, head to southern Minnesota or head west towards the advancing front. Each situation had its positives and negatives. After much analysis and some very quick driving, I decided to head west towards the front, which now was firing a string of supercells along it. I targeted the southern supercell coming across the Missouri river north of Pierre. I caught up with it east of Oneida and what a sight it was!!! It took about 10 minutes for it to drop its first of 7 tornadoes that I saw. The structure was second to none as this beautiful striated updraft produced one tornado after another. The largest and strongest tornado developed southwest of Wessington and tracked southeast near Wolsey to southwest of Huron before dissipating. It stayed on the ground over 40 minutes and resembled the Manchester, SD tornado from June 24, 2003 (which I saw from the south side). Finally, the storm produced one last tornado southeast of Huron as it weakened moving towards I-29. Check out the video and photos below.

 

VIDEO FROM: August 24, 2006 South Dakota (18MB FILE!!)

 

         

Beautiful rotating updraft, complete with inflow band!                First tornado touches down west of Miller at 6:03 PM.

 

         

Beautiful tapered cone tornado west of town.                             Tornado intensifies as rain wraps behind it.

 

         

Zoomed it shot of the tornado with dirt around it.                        Wide shot as the tornado dissipates at 6:16 PM.

 

         

The 3rd tornado VERY close kicks up debris cloud.                  Wide shot of 3rd tornado and awesome mesocyclone.

 

         

The 4th tornado destroys a house with debris in air.                Largest tornado forms near Wessington, SD at 6:39 PM.

                                                                                                              It dissipated at 7:21 PM. (#5)

 

         

Tornado strengthens.                                                                      Tornado #5 wedges out east of Wessington, SD!!!!!

 

         

HUGE Manchesterlike wedge about half mile south!                Very strong F3 rated tornado churns across the plains.

 

         

Debris cloud advances rapidly eastward.                                    What can you say? Tornado #5 near Wolsey, SD.

                                                                                                              Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

         

Farmstead near Wolsey, SD sustains strong damage.            Rainbow with debris filled fence line.

 

         

Roof from house is thrown 1 mile across the highway.            Last tornado ropes out into a ghostly white rope.

 

Decent debris cloud with the ropeout at 7:59 PM near

Cavour, SD.