What size were the hail stones that fell in Sturgis hail storm last night?
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota, was hit by a hail storm with golf ball to baseball size hail stones Friday. Tornado sirens were sounded in Sturgis and people were directed to shelters. A hail stone larger than a baseball ripped through a mans tent, knocking him unconsious. One man sought shelter in a plywood structure when the storm hit, but was knocked to the ground when strong winds blew the it over. Both men were taken to area hospitals. Winds in the area were reported to be 60 to 70 miles an hour. At the Buffalo Chip Campground near Sturgis, the hail broke windows and mirrors or otherwise damaged about 2,000 cars. A National Weather Service worker reported hail nearly 3 inches in diameter fell in the area during the storm. The hail damaged windows and windshields of several vehicles on Interstate 90 east of Sturgis. Some of those vehicles were damaged so badly they had to be towed. The hail storm lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, and bikers ventured ou
A severe hail storm swept through Sturgis with unbridled fury Friday evening, shattering windows in cars, denting motorcycles, and creating havoc on campers. Hail the size of tangerines fell almost horizontally, fueled by driving winds as the storm left revelers at Sturgis in a state of shock and disbelief. People scrambled to seek cover under anything they could. We had just pulled into the parking lot of the Full Throttle Saloon around 6 p.m. when the storm hit. The clouds hung low on the horizon, blotting out the sky just before the first few stones fell. Luckily, we weren’t riding motorcycles at the time. “Look, it’s hailing,” said Eric Novisedlak, MCUSA’s videographer as the first pea-sized pebbles fell. There was no time to make a dash for the Full Throttle Saloon so we waited out the hail storm, trapped in our rental SUV as the intensity increased. The noise of the impact against our vehicle quickly turned from a few taps to an angry mob hammering on our car from every direction
Hail rained on the Sturgis Rally Friday night, damaging bikes, pelting bikers, and hastening the end of a wild week-long celebration. There were also unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in the Black Hills region. This year’s rally, the 69th, was plagued by disappointment due to wet weather, high winds, concert mishaps, and tragic accidents. Sources: MotorcycleUSA.
