Pine Ridge, SD Hail Storm – September 2026

A strong hail-producing storm moved through the Pine Ridge, SD metro on September 5, 2026, producing stones up to 3.54 inches and a multi-zone hail track from late afternoon into the early evening.

What Happened

The storm evolved in the late afternoon and persisted into the early evening. NWS products issued 17 alerts between 3:54 PM CDT and 7:26 PM CDT. Two alerts were NWS warning only. Eleven alerts were based on dual-polarization NEXRAD hail detection. Three alerts combined radar detection with spotter verification. One alert originated from a direct spotter report.

Activity intensified near Alliance in the late afternoon. A trained spotter reported 2.5-inch hail 5 miles WNW of Alliance at 5:05 PM CDT. Other trained spotters reported repeated 2-inch hail near Alliance between about 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM CDT. At 6:05 PM CDT a trained spotter reported accumulating hail up to 2 inches in diameter and roughly 3 inches deep along Highway 385 SSW of Alliance. Radar-detected hail echoes persisted eastward from the Alliance corridor later in the evening, and spotters logged golf ball-sized hail east of Minatare around 7:01 PM CDT. Smaller, spotter-verified reports were recorded north of Bridgeport and south of Berea during the event. The sequence shows a concentrated late-afternoon to early-evening hail swath across the Pine Ridge metro and adjacent corridors.

Damage Assessment

Field reports place the most substantial surface impacts along Highway 385 SSW of Alliance and in the Alliance corridor. The 6:05 PM CDT spotter account documents hail accumulation near 3 inches deep on that stretch of Highway 385. Multiple trained spotters reported 2-inch hail in locations 4 to 5 miles of Alliance between 5:01 PM CDT and 5:30 PM CDT. A 5:05 PM CDT spotter measured a 2.5-inch stone 5 miles WNW of Alliance. East of Minatare, trained observers reported golf ball-sized hail at 7:01 PM CDT.

Reports north of Bridgeport and south of Berea show embedded pockets of quarter- to half-dollar-sized hail earlier in the event. The mix of repeated 2-inch and larger spotter reports, combined with multiple radar-detected signatures through the evening, indicates concentrated surface impacts across the Alliance to Minatare axis and scattered impacts to the north and south. Roadway accumulation on Highway 385 created temporary surface cover where the storm passed. Observers described hail depth and repeated, heavy downpours in the same areas at the times cited above.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize the Alliance corridor and Highway 385 SSW of Alliance for initial inspections. Field reports show the heaviest accumulation and the largest measured stones in those locations. Inspect asphalt shingles, metal roofing seams, skylights, and siding first on structures within a 5-mile radius of Alliance. Photograph hail on the ground, measure residual stones where possible, and document timestamps tied to the spotter reports for each inspection.