1998 Spencer tornado
Clockwise from top: A photo taken of the deadly F4 tornado as it was entering Spencer, Doppler on Wheels mobile radar data of the tornado, panorama of F3 to F4 rated damage in Spencer, aerial view of northeastern Spencer, photo of workers cleaning up debris following the tornado in Spencer. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 30, 1998, 8:26 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 30, 1998, 8:52 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 26 minutes |
| F4 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 1,600 yards (0.91 mi; 1.5 km) |
| Path length | 14 miles (23 km) |
| Highest winds |
|
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Injuries | 150 |
| Damage | $18.5 million (1998 USD) |
| Areas affected | Hanson County, McCook County, South Dakota, United States; particularly in Spencer. |
Part of the Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho and Tornadoes of 1998 | |
The 1998 Spencer tornado was a large and destructive tornado that tore through communities along Hanson and McCook counties, South Dakota on May 30, 1998. It particularly devastated the small city of Spencer, and was part of the a historic late-May tornado outbreak and derecho. The storm was the deadliest tornado to occur in the state of South Dakota, and was the fifth deadliest of the 1998 season.
The tornado was the third of five tornadoes that formed under the same supercell. It formed after a few previous tornadoes nearby had dissipated, passing near the community of Farmer before rapidly intensifying, impacting Spencer at peak intensity. Survey results from the National Weather Service concluded that the tornado's damage was consistent with a rating of F4 on the Fujita Scale, with winds ranging from 207–260 mph (333–418 km/h) − a nearby Doppler on Wheels (DOW) also captured instantaneous wind gusts of up to 264 mph (425 km/h).