The 3rd tornado was the longest and most destructive and touched down between Clear Lake and Gary, SD. It was rated a high end EF3 with wind speeds estimated at 155-165 mph. The tornado had a nearly 40-minute track that stretched roughly 9.71 miles. Damage occurred at multiple properties, but the property with the most extensive damage included a completely destroyed farm house, a garage, two machine sheds, several silos/grain bins and a barn. Vehicles in one garage were picked up and tossed, including a half ton pickup hurled 300 yards northeast.
The EF3 rating is of unusual severity. 1,931 tornadoes have been documented in South Dakota between 1950-2024. Of those, only 75 tornadoes have been documented as an EF3 or greater, meaning less than 4% of South Dakota tornadoes reach this level of severity.
The final tornado touched down east of Gary, SD on the Minnesota side. There was no damage noted and was rated an EF Unknown by the Twin Cities National Weather Service.
As storms trained over the same area for several hours, excessive heavy rainfall developed resulting in portions of Hamlin and Deuel Counties receiving 2 to 4+ inches of rainfall.
Aberdeen, SD Weather Forecast Office June 28th, 2025 Tornadic Supercells