Severe Weather Pounds Hand County

This was the hail along SD HWY 45 near 213th Street at about 5:32 P.M. Photo courtesy of Hand County Sheriff's Department

Severe weather crossed Hand County late Tuesday afternoon.  A line of thunderstorms caused a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Hand County at 3:45.  A cell developed just west of Miller that caused a tornado warning at 4:30 PM  A small rope tornado was reported seven miles west and a mile north of Miller, causing tornado sirens in Miller to sound.  The sirens sound for nearly 45 minutes.  The tornado warning was continued south of Miller through 5:15 as the tornadic storm moved south along South Dakota Highway 45.  That’s where law enforcement reported they could not confirm a tornado touchdown because of the heavy rainfall near the storm.  Hail reports ranged from an inch and a quarter 17 miles northwest of Miller at 4:15 and one inch hail 9 miles Northwest of Miller four minutes later. At 4:45 National Weather Service storm reports show Hand County Emergency Management reported a rope tornado 12 miles south of Miller  One inch hail was also reported in the Polo and Ames areas in Hand County.  No damage was reported with the storms and steady rain following the severe weather has prompted a Flood Warning for Hand County until 7 AM Wednesday morning.