TL;DR
Five tornadoes were reported across the United States on Thursday, July 2, 2026: four in central South Dakota and one landspout near Fort Myers, Florida. The South Dakota tornadoes occurred between 1956 and 2230 UTC (approximately 1:56 pm to 4:30 pm CDT) in the Gann Valley and Willow Lake areas. The day also brought 67 hail reports and 198 wind reports across 24 states, with baseball-sized hail damaging homes and vehicles in parts of South Dakota and Iowa.
South Dakota tornado cluster
Four tornadoes touched down across central South Dakota Thursday afternoon, concentrated in a roughly 40-mile corridor between Gann Valley and Willow Lake.
The first tornado was reported at 1956 UTC (1:56 pm CDT) six miles south of Gann Valley, according to the National Weather Service office in Aberdeen. Ten minutes later, at 2010 UTC, a second tornado was photographed two miles east of Gann Valley. The NWS Aberdeen office noted that "several photos on X of a tornado on the ground near Gann Valley" confirmed the report, with the location estimated via radar.
A third tornado was sighted by numerous storm chasers at 2030 UTC, located 13 miles west of Wessington Springs. The final South Dakota tornado of the day touched down at 2230 UTC (4:30 pm CDT) five miles southwest of Willow Lake, also confirmed by ground observers.
All four tornadoes were reported with unknown intensity ratings at the time of the initial storm reports. NWS survey teams will assess damage in the coming days to determine EF-scale ratings.
Florida landspout
A separate tornado event unfolded far to the southeast. At 2300 UTC (7:00 pm EDT), a possible landspout was reported three miles east-southeast of Fort Myers, Florida.
The National Weather Service office in Tampa Bay noted that "the media shared videos of a possible landspout from around 7pm in the intersection of Colonial Blvd. and I-75." Landspouts are tornadoes that form along the leading edge of developing thunderstorm updrafts, typically weaker and shorter-lived than tornadoes associated with supercells.
The Fort Myers tornado occurred in a very different meteorological environment than the Great Plains events—likely tied to sea-breeze convergence and localized instability common to Florida's summer thunderstorm pattern.
Widespread severe weather
Thursday's tornado reports were part of a much broader severe weather outbreak affecting nearly half the country.
The Storm Prediction Center received 67 hail reports spanning 19 states. The largest hailstone—3.50 inches in diameter, roughly the size of a baseball—fell four miles east-southeast of Maynard, Iowa, at 1901 UTC. Another baseball-sized stone (3.00 inches) was photographed seven miles south-southwest of Gann Valley, South Dakota, at 1930 UTC, with the report including a spotter ruler card for scale verification.
Hail caused significant property damage in multiple locations. At 1835 UTC, 1.75-inch hail broke windshields on two vehicles four miles northeast of Chamberlain, South Dakota. Ten miles north-northeast of Pukwana, South Dakota, 2.75-inch hail caused "severe damage to gutters on home" at 1856 UTC, with a follow-up report at 1910 UTC noting an "extended period of hail with continued larger hail at times."
Wind damage was even more widespread, with 198 reports across 24 states. The highest measured gust—81 mph—was recorded at a South Dakota Department of Transportation mesonet station three miles north of Gann Valley at 2105 UTC. A 73 mph gust was measured one mile south of Kimball, South Dakota, at 2100 UTC.
Damaging winds snapped trees, downed power lines, and caused structural damage from the northern Plains into the Southeast. In Morristown, New York, multiple trees fell on private residences at 2052 UTC. Two power poles were blown over on Nolensville Road north of York Road near Nolensville, Tennessee, at 2040 UTC. In Fort Stockton, Texas, emergency management reported a section of roof blown off a residence along with tree branches two to four inches in diameter broken at 2105 UTC.
Meteorological setup
Thursday's severe weather evolved from multiple convective clusters that developed overnight and into the morning hours across the northern and central Plains. The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook noted ongoing convection over western Nebraska and northwest Kansas, South Dakota, and Iowa/southern Minnesota.
Forecasters highlighted that "evolution of these clusters and their respective outflows will likely play a role in the location, timing, and intensity of thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening."
Airmass recovery occurred north of remnant outflow boundaries, with strong buoyancy developing as temperatures climbed into the upper 80s and low 90s and dewpoints reached the upper 60s to low 70s. Moderate vertical wind shear supported supercell development, particularly across Nebraska and Iowa, where the initial cellular storms produced large to very large hail.
The SPC outlook noted that "eventual upscale growth into one or more bowing clusters is expected towards the evening, especially as the low-level jet increases in the evening," with potential for significant wind gusts of 75+ mph, particularly from eastern Nebraska into western Iowa.
The South Dakota tornadoes developed in an environment of modest buoyancy and moderate shear, with low-level convergence along outflow boundaries providing the focused lift needed for rotating updrafts.
Context and patterns
Five tornadoes in a single day represents a relatively modest total for early July, particularly compared to peak spring activity. However, the geographic spread—from the central Plains to the Gulf Coast of Florida—illustrates the diverse severe weather environments active across the country during the summer months.
The South Dakota tornado cluster fits a familiar pattern: tornadoes developing along outflow boundaries in moderately unstable air masses, often in the wake of morning convection. These setups can be challenging to forecast with precision, as the exact position and timing of outflow boundaries are difficult to predict hours in advance.
The concentration of four tornadoes within a relatively small area and short time window suggests a particularly favorable corridor for rotating updrafts, likely where multiple boundaries intersected or where local terrain features enhanced convergence.
No injuries or fatalities were reported in connection with Thursday's tornadoes as of the time of the initial storm reports. Damage assessments are ongoing.
Looking ahead
As of Friday morning, July 3, no tornado watches are active nationwide. The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook highlights an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms from central Nebraska into western Iowa, with scattered wind damage and large hail expected. Isolated to scattered severe storms are also possible extending eastward from the northern and central Plains into the Midwest, Tennessee Valley, and Mid-Atlantic.
Friday's setup bears similarities to Thursday's pattern, with morning convection and outflow boundaries expected to play a key role in determining where the most significant storms develop during the afternoon and evening hours.
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