Tornado outbreak of May 29, 1953

A destructive outbreak of nine tornadoes struck the Great Plains on May 29, 1953. The worst one was an F5 tornado that hit Fort Rice, North Dakota, destroying multiple structures and causing the majority of the casualties that day. Other strong tornadoes occurred that day, including an F2 tornado that did major damage when it struck McLaughlin, South Dakota. Overall, the outbreak killed two people, injured 22 others, and caused $827,500 (1953 USD) in damage.

Meteorological synopsis
An unusually strong surface low-pressure system moved into northwestern South Dakota during the afternoon of May 29, 1953. Surface observations indicated that it, along with another nearby low to its southeast, had a pressure lower than 996 mb. A dryline extended from this strong low southward ahead of a cold front that curled southwestward while a warm front extended east-northeastward into the Coteau des Prairies of southeastern North Dakota Behind the surface low, an upper-level low moved northeastward through Montana, increasing the pressure gradient over the Northern Plains and inducing high wind shear across the area. Temperatures that afternoon reached anywhere from the upper 80s to mid-90s and with dew points from 60 to 70 °F, the atmosphere was ripe for an outbreak of severe thunderstorms.