South Dakota was the center of weather extremes Sunday, with a tornado damaging a small town and injuring at least nine people on the eastern side of the state and more than a foot of snow blanketing the Black Hills to the west.
Parts of several Great Plains and Midwest states were in the path of severe weather, including north Texas, where the National Weather Service said a likely tornado damaged roofs and trees near Denton and torrential rain caused flash flooding.
In South Dakota, Gov. Dennis Daugaard said nine people were injured Sunday morning when a tornado tore through the tiny town of Delmont — about 90 miles from Sioux Falls. None of the injuries was life-threatening, and seven of the nine had been treated and released from the hospital, Daugaard said. There were no fatalities.
South Dakota Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Kristi Turman said about 20 buildings were damaged and the town has no water, power or phones. The town was evacuated, authorities said.
“Our house is flat. There is nothing left,” said Stephanie Lunder, 34, of Delmont. She was with her husband and four children in the basement when the storm hit.
In north Texas, a likely tornado ripped roofs off buildings and damaged trees near Denton, about 40 miles northwest of Dallas, according to Weather Service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
Torrential rains led to widespread flash flooding in north Texas. People in Krum were being rescued by helicopter from rising floodwaters there. Denton County Emergency Services Chief Jody Gonzalez said Sunday that multiple rescues had been performed for people in flooded streets and homes in the town about 50 miles northwest of Dallas.
Forecasters issued tornado watches through Sunday evening for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Missouri.
Farther north, late-season snow fell in parts of the Rockies, western Nebraska and western South Dakota.
