Dust, Wind Rips through South Dakota and Minnesota

Photo courtesy of @NancyAllard17

Another series of destructive storms, including derecho-like conditions, ripped through the Upper Midwest this past Thursday, blasting 100-plus mph winds and a massive cloud of dust through towns and farm country. The violent storms impacted areas from Kansas to Wisconsin, with the most damage happening along eastern South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. Significant structural damages, including crushed grain bins and overturned semis, plague producers Friday, further impeding what was already a record-slow start to planting season.

As of this past Friday, 70,000 people were without power. One casualty was reported in Minnesota after a grain bin fell on a car. The winds conjured up dust that swallowed communities. Meteorologists say the storm complex was fueled by a sprawling heat dome spanning Texas to Maine this past week.