Twenty years ago the town of Spencer, South Dakota was nearly destroyed by one of the deadliest tornado in South Dakota history. On the evening of May, 30, 1998, a storm produced an F4 tornado that nearly destroyed the small town just east of Mitchell and killed six people. Winds from the twister were estimated to be between 207 and 260 miles-per-hour.

On that Saturday in 1998 the tornado, which had first touched down west of town, moved through Spencer. As it left town, the tornado continued southeast through farmland and ending near I-90. The Spencer tornado was one of five produced by the same supercell storm in just over an hour that night.

According to the National Weather Service:

The tornado killed six people

More than one-third of the town's 320 residents were injured, and

Most of the town's 190 buildings were destroyed

Damage was estimated at $18 million

You can see the damage in this report from KSTP-TV.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. (all times Central Daylight Time [CDT]) on Saturday, May 30, 1998, a violent tornado struck the small town of Spencer, South Dakota. Spencer is in extreme western McCook County, about 45 miles west-northwest of Sioux Falls. The tornado killed six people, injured more than one-third of the town's 320 residents, and destroyed most of the town's 190 buildings. Damage is estimated at $18 million. The Spencer tornado (rated F4 on the Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale), was one of five tornadoes, along a nearly continuous damage track approximately 30 miles long." - National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls

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