WESTERN, SOUTH DAKOTA --  Over 19 inches of heavy snow blanketed western South Dakota October 4-6.  The storm was responsible for power outages and tree damage as winds howled up to seventy miles per hour on occasion.

A glance of the overall damage

The Red Cross established three shelters throughout the region. The are still over 200 people in shelter due to the loss of electrical power.

At this time an accurate damage count and needs are unknown. Emergency Management will begin organized assessments of damage Tuesday.           

As of 1400 today more than 22,000 are experiencing day four of no power. There is mounting concerns for those on home medical equipment such as concentrators and home dialysis.

Reports are coming in of trees down, trees on structures, roof damage, roofs torn off.             

Western South Dakota ranchers suffered heavy cattle losses in the last weekend's blizzard and their recovery could be hampered by the expiration of government livestock disaster programs. It is believed that there will be tens of thousands of livestock lost and hundreds of miles of fence lines.

Snow Total and Preliminary Storm Report from Storm Mountain Center

The early snowstorm in the western half of the Dakotas dumped unprecedented amounts of snow in the Black Hills crippling the area.  Cell phones and the ability to text allowed the staff at Storm Mountain Center the opportunity stay in contact with others. 

Becky Holten, Director of Camping and Youth Ministry reports, “Communications have been brief to save the battery life on their phones.”

The electricity at Storm Mountain went out around 5:00 AM on Friday morning and remains out at the time of this writing. 

The staff is safe; Scott Jensen, Director at Storm Mountain, commented, “ I am ready for a hot bath.”   

Storm Mountain received over 30 inches of heavy wet snow downing many trees still fully clothed in their fall foliage.   

It is hard to assess the extent of damage now Jensen did report trees have come down on the Sander Lodge, the lawn storage shed, the director’s house, the big cross and the yard light.   

The snow is so heavy and wet that the limited snow removal equipment at Storm Mountain is of little use.  Everyone is praying for the “solar snow plow” to come quickly and the return of electricity.

Holten commented,  “We join all of those in western South Dakota in praying for the safety of all those affected by this powerful storm and those individuals that will come to their rescue and aid.”

More information on the damage and ways you can help will be shared as information becomes available. 

Photo by Gordon Ofstad