One of the most powerful storm damage images I’ve ever seen…
This was sent to us from Highmore where they recorded a 131 mph wind gust from the Catholic Church. It actually split the roof of the church.
(📸 Joseph Mat)
The @NWS weather balloon crisis continues, with nearly a third of the Lower 48 missing 12Z (sunrise) observations. (Some are being pushed back 6 hours.)
Senior meteorologist @MatthewCappucci made an appearance on @fox5dc to break down the nuance of this issue:
BREAKING: It appears we have the SECOND HIGHEST thunderstorm wind gust ever directly recorded in the United States.
Winds to 131 mph – equivalent to an EF2 tornado – were measured around 6:15 a.m. in central South Dakota.
There were multiple corroborating measurements AND several additional gusts over 110 mph nearby.
Based on everything we can find, these are the strongest straight-line thunderstorm gusts to be directly-measured since August 1, 1983, when a microburst hit Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Just seven minutes earlier, Air Force One had landed with Ronald Reagan. A gust to 149.5 mph was clocked.
A derecho, or violent straight-line wind storm, did impact the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area with 140 mph winds on August 10, 2020; several transmission towers were felled and up to 8,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. But the strongest directly-measured gust was 126 mph in Atkins, Iowa.
"You are in a life-threatening situation," warned the Weather Service in Aberdeen on Monday morning. "Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Expect considerable damage to homes and businesses. Expect extensive tree damage and power outages."
Much of the impact-based verbiage was borrowed from the Weather Service's template for tornado warnings. Only on rare occasions is that phrasing used in severe thunderstorm warnings. That said, the impacts were similar.
"This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION with tornado-like wind speeds expected," wrote the Weather Service.
The storms accompanied a warm front lifting through the region. Despite the early time of day, there were between 5,000 and 6,000 units of thunderstorm fuel; 1,000-2,000 is enough to fuel severe thunderstorms.
The storms were effectively able to grow tall and tap into jet stream energy, mixing momentum to the surface.
It is unclear if Monday's storm will be classified as a derecho. While the winds were surely sufficient, a derecho must produce a damage path about 250 miles long. Moreover, historical definitions required a wind swath 60 miles wide. This bow echo may have been slightly too narrow. The Storm Prediction Center will have the final say.
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI IS COMING TO CHICAGO 🇵🇱
We have signed global soccer icon and Poland’s all-time leading goal scorer Robert Lewandowski as a Designated Player 🔥 #cf97
NEW Storm Observation Vlog! Join me for the entire June 11th, 2026 tornado outbreak as multiple destructive tornadoes tear through central Illinois. Runtime 75 min:
The Entire June 11th, 2026 Tornado Outbreak in Illinois! | Storm Observa... https://t.co/imuGBtGzne via @YouTube