Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884

Twisted evening

Tornado reports keep residents on edge

Information regarding the tornado that touched down in Crook County on Monday evening makes it difficult for the National Weather Service to pin down exactly where it traveled, according to Susan Sanders, Warning Coordination Meteorologist. Reports have been received from spotters in several places.

It appears that the tornado touched down in a remote area of the county and did not do a lot of damage, other than to trees, says Emergency Management Coordinator Ed Robinson.

“Any other damage that has been reported, they believe to be wind related, not tornado activity,” he says.

Damage in the Moskee country, according to Sanders, seems to be from a different storm, perhaps a tornado as the rotation got stronger in South Dakota, north of Highway 85 and west of Spearfish Canyon.

“I was advised that the tornado was actually located northwest of New Haven, in a remote area given the GPS coordinates,” says Robinson.

“Most information I believe they were getting was from private spotters that were estimating where it was and what it was doing. Radar coverage of the area is very spotty if existent at all.”

Black Hills National Forest has announced that it is assessing the impacts of a tornado that occurred south of Spearfish, off Tinton Road on the Northern Hills Ranger District. A section of the road was closed on Tuesday due to downed trees and caution was advised in those areas due to blocked trails and dangerous snags.

Reconnaissance was also underway on Tuesday to determine the extent and path of the tornado.

The storm in Crook County also brought hail that was reported to be up to baseball size northwest of Oshoto and northwest of Lightning Flat. A funnel cloud was spotted in Oshoto but did not touch down.

Hail reached 1.75 inches in size southeast of Sundance and half an inch ten miles north of Hulett, where six-inch tree limbs were broken and the winds were estimated at up to 70 mph.

 
 
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