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Heat Wave Expands to the East Coast; Flash Flooding Likely in the Central Plains into the Midwest; Severe Thunderstorms in the Northeast

Dangerous, prolonged heat is ongoing in the Mid-South to Mid-Mississippi Valley and heat expands into the Northeast for a brief period today. Widely scattered instances of flash flooding due to heavy rains are forecast from northeast Kansas to much of Indiana. Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of New England, northern Mid-Atlantic, and North Dakota. Read More >

Overview

Many severe thunderstorms moved across South Dakota over multiple days in early June 2020, including the 4th, 6th and 7th. The event on the 6th was classified as a derecho (a widespread, long-lived wind storm featuring rapidly moving thunderstorms that last for over 250 miles), that moved northeast out of Colorado and Wyoming and through western and central South Dakota during the evening of June 6th. Winds in western and central South Dakota gusted to 60-80 mph as the derecho moved through.

The next wave of storms developed in response to a strong low pressure system over central South Dakota during the late afternoon of June 7th, along and east of a stalled surface boundary from Murdo through Eureka. This led to the severe thunderstorms moving over the same areas multiple times into the early morning hours of June 8th and produced 1-1.75" hail, wind gusts of 60-80+ mph, and three tornadoes. Numerous machine sheds, pole barns, grain bins silos, etc. were damaged or destroyed during these intense storms. 

 Tree uprooted 2 miles west of Westport, SD (Kristi Burns)
Structural damage from high winds in the Loyalton area on June 7th
View of the June 6, 2020 storm reports over western South Dakota View of the June 7, 2020 storm reports over South Dakota
View of the June 6, 2020 storm reports over western South Dakota (Source) View of the June 7, 2020 storm reports over South Dakota (Source)
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