Severe Thunderstorms With 60 mph Winds Hit South Dakota and Missouri

Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail moved through parts of South Dakota and Missouri early Thursday, while Swiss authorities monitored an unstable Alpine rock formation linked to thawing permafrost that threatens the village of Kandersteg.

Severe Thunderstorms Strike Midwest Overnight

A severe thunderstorm near Millboro, South Dakota, at 2:45 a.m. CDT produced 60 mph wind gusts and half-dollar-size hail while moving southeast at 30 mph. [1] The storm threatened Millboro, Keyapaha, Clearfield and Dog Ear Lake with roof, siding, tree and vehicle damage. [1] Radar indicated the hazards, and hail damage to vehicles was expected along with wind damage to roofs, siding and trees. [1]

A separate severe thunderstorm near Blue Springs, Missouri, at 2:15 a.m. CDT produced 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail while moving east at 35 mph. [3] This storm affected Independence, Blue Springs, Grain Valley and Interstate 70 near mile marker 23. [3] Radar indicated the hazards, and similar impacts including hail damage to vehicles and wind damage to roofs, siding and trees were anticipated. [3]

The two warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for Tripp County in South Dakota and Jackson County in Missouri. [1] [3] Both storms were tracked via radar as they advanced through rural and suburban areas overnight.

Alpine Landslide Threat Grows in Switzerland

The Swiss village of Kandersteg faces a potential massive landslide from the Spitze Stei rock formation. [2] The formation has been destabilized by thawing permafrost and glacier melt driven by climate change. [2] Heightened rockslide threats have been noted in Kandersteg since 2018, when paragliders observed the rock formation losing height and pieces breaking off. [2]

The 1,300 residents of the village in Switzerland's Bern canton live amid sharp peaks, white glaciers and steep green valleys. [2] Sensors monitoring GPS locations on the formation showed the mountain shifting by up to 70 centimetres a day. [2] The entire unstable section is estimated at roughly 15 to 20 million cubic metres. [2]

Thawing permafrost and glacier melt have increased the threat of landslides across the Swiss Alps as frozen soil, sediment and rock that bind mountains together lose stability due to higher temperatures. [2] Markus Stoffel, professor for climate change and natural risks at the University of Geneva, noted that ice in unconsolidated debris acts like cement, and once it melts the slopes become increasingly unstable. [2]

Monitoring and Preparedness Efforts

Kandersteg has spent over 11 million Swiss francs on dams and monitoring with GPS, radar and drones. [2] Researchers check the mountain daily, and residents receive regular updates on movements via email and WhatsApp. [2] Local resident Brigitte Jüni stated that authorities took all precautions possible, though nature remains unpredictable. [2]

Residents would receive at least 48 hours warning before any major movement. [2] Experts expect the rock to break gradually rather than in one collapse. [2] Patrick Jost, head of Kandersteg's tourism office, said residents still sleep well despite one of the most exposed homes. [2] Rudolf Isler, another resident, noted the situation differs from other events and that stones have fallen for many years. [2]

Recent Regional Precedent and Climate Context

A similar 2025 landslide of rock and ice in nearby Loetschental valley buried the evacuated village of Blatten under mud. [2] That event caused 320 million Swiss francs in insured losses. [2] Blatten had been evacuated 10 days earlier as a precaution. [2]

Robert Kenner at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos described Kandersteg as an area with historical structural instability now reactivated after about 3,000 years of calm. [2] Nathan Solothurnmann, a climate and energy expert for Greenpeace Switzerland, said landslides or avalanches will become more common due to climate change, and some valleys or villages may eventually become impossible to inhabit. [2]

Broader Heat and Storm Patterns

Japan's aging farmers have turned to working at night to avoid potentially fatal heat shock as summers grow hotter. [4] In Taiwan, a tropical depression over waters east of Guam could be upgraded into a tropical storm later today, though its path remains uncertain and it is expected to head toward Japan. [5] The Central Weather Administration continues to monitor the system to determine any effect on Taiwan. [5]

Taiwan is under a typical summer weather pattern, with an orange heat alert issued for Nantou County, Yunlin and Pingtung counties and Chiayi and Tainan cities, where temperatures could reach 36°C or higher for three consecutive days. [5] Yellow heat alerts cover Changhua County and Chiayi County for possible 36°C highs on a single day. [5] Daytime temperatures elsewhere are expected to hit 32°C to 35°C, with brief showers or thundershowers possible in northern and eastern areas. [5]

What to watch next: Authorities will continue daily sensor checks on the Spitze Stei formation and monitor the tropical depression east of Guam for any shift that could influence regional weather.