WINNER, S.D. – Extensive damage is being reported in the south-central South Dakota town of Winner after a hail storm brought stones the size of baseballs Monday night.
Among the reported damage is the town’s drive-in theatre screen, which was destroyed at the Winner Drive In.
There were dozens of reports of damage to cars and homes and around a dozen power poles were down. According to South Dakota Rural Electric, there were 68 customers without power from Rosebud Electric Cooperative.
Winner wasn’t the only area getting heavy storms.
Dave Hintz at the National Weather Service office in Rapid City says the storm’s nearly 120-mile path started near Philip, moved toward Midland in Haakon County then turned southeast.
The Jones County Sheriff’s Office reported that motorcycles and campers were blown off I-90 six miles west of Okaton around 5:45 Monday evening. Hail broke windows and covered the ground near Westover in southern Jones County before the storm moved southeast into Tripp County.
Hintz says it’s not surprising to the Weather Service that one storm stole the show Monday night.
Other storm reports included part of a metal fence with wooden posts being blown over and vegetation being laid down southwest of Okaton.
An 84 mile an hour wind gust was reported in Winner around 6:30 pm.
