Power Outage in Flandreau, SD

Light freezing drizzle started prior to sunrise and continued through the morning. Ice accumulation on elevated surfaces reached upward of two tenths of an inch, with lesser ice also accumulating on roads and bridges which produced dangerous conditions for several hours. Brief power outages occurred during the early morning hours.

Blizzard conditions led to a shutdown of government offices and schools, and travel was not recommended due to the widespread whiteout conditions. Interstate 29 was closed from the evening of April 10 through noon on April 12. Storm-total snowfall from 4 to 8 inches occurred, with 8.0 inches 11 miles north of Colman and 5.4 inches at Flandreau. With winds gusting at times from 40 to 50 mph, many areas had snow drifts of several feet, making roads impassable. Ice accumulation of one-quarter to one-half inch occurred, resulting in scattered power outages as wind increased. Property damage costs include damage to utilities.

High winds from a westerly direction followed a low pressure system which had brought Christmas Day rain and thunderstorms. There were several reports of power lines and branches down and resulting power outages, as well as damaged traffic lights and signs. The winds included measured sustained winds of 40 mph and a peak gust of 60 mph at Flandreau.

Westerly winds behind a cold front reach sustained speed of 40 to 45 mph for a few hours. A gust to 53 mph was measured at Ward. The high winds caused spotty power line and traffic light damage.

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations, estimated at one quarter inch. The freezing rain was followed by 1 to 3 inches of snow. Strong northwest winds produced some drifting snow and a few areas of blowing snow. Roads were made very icy, there was damage to power lines and resulting power outages, and school classes were cancelled.

Thunderstorm winds caused widespread damage in the south part of Flandreau. Roofs on homes, apartment buildings, and other buildings were blown off or damaged. The roof of a large church was blown off, and parts of the roof damaged nearby homes. The Flandreau city office building had part of its south wall blown off, resulting in interior damage to ceiling tiles and insulation. Siding on other walls of this building and on numerous homes was damaged. Tree damage was widespread, including several trees blown down or uprooted. The winds blew down power lines, leaving parts of the city without power for almost three hours.

Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage in Flandreau, including numerous trees uprooted or snapped. Several homes and vehicles were damaged, mostly by falling trees or tree debris. A large camper in the city park was overturned. The winds and tree debris also damaged power lines, causing a power outage. Tree debris blocked numerous roads in and near town. Damage to the city's electrical system alone was later estimated at $125,000.

Snow, beginning as rain and freezing rain, fell from around noon on April 10th to midday on April 11th. The snow accumulated 2 to 6 inches and was accompanied by north winds averaging around 30 mph and gusting to 45 mph. This produced blizzard conditions for much of the time, mainly in the northwestern half of the county, with zero visibilities and drifting snow making travel impossible. Schools and numerous businesses were forced to close. Power outages were reported as some power lines were downed by the combination of wet snow and strong winds.

Thunderstorm winds caused tree and power line damage, with power lines blocking roads. The amount of damage was not known.