Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight
South Dakota State Fair staff, state prison inmates and volunteers spent two weeks clearing debris and repairing damage after a tornado swept through Huron.
Despite widespread damage across the fairgrounds, no one was injured, the grounds are now in good shape, and no events will be canceled for the fair Sept. 2-7.
“We’re really blessed,” State Fair Manager Peggy Besch told the State Fair Commission on Tuesday, adding that the damage could have been much worse.
A tornado with peak winds of 90 mph struck Huron on July 2, followed by extreme wind, including a 106 mph gust. Besch said 23 families were camping at the fairgrounds at the time, and they waited it out in designated shelters. The grounds were set to host the national Family Campers and RVers Campvention, with opening ceremonies set for July 4. People involved with the event had arrived early.
The storm toppled numerous large trees and damaged multiple buildings on the fairgrounds. Damage included a tree crashing through a skylight, an announcer’s stand being overturned, one building being shifted off its foundation and toppled power poles.
Besch said the state rented a crane to remove large hanging tree limbs, while inmates from the South Dakota Department of Corrections spent two weeks helping to clear debris.
According to a department press release, a July 3 deployment included 15 minimum-security inmates and four department staff members from Sioux Falls. Another department crew of 25 inmates and three staff returned to the fairgrounds on July 5 to continue with cleanup. From there, efforts expanded beyond the fairgrounds throughout Huron. The department also dispatched help after an earlier storm in Highmore.
“This DOC initiative is a perfect win-win example,” Gov. Larry Rhoden said in the release. “Our communities receive much-needed help, and our inmates have the opportunity to get outside and contribute to something greater than themselves.”
Besch said students from South Dakota State University also assisted with the cleanup at the fairgrounds.
The fairgrounds’ newly completed Dakota Events Complex escaped without damage, Besch told South Dakota Searchlight. She said no cost estimate for the cleanup and repairs is available yet.