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Last Updated: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 06:44 PM
Category: News

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1 killed, 1 hit by lightning as storms sweep through Plains, Upper Midwest

Storms that pummeled the northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Friday left at least one person dead and two other people injured, including one hit by lighting, officials said.

In South Dakota, severe winds damaged homes and killed a 63-year-old woman as she sheltered in a bathtub in the community of Lake Poinsett north of Sioux Falls, Hamlin County Sheriff Chad Schlotterbeck said. Her husband was injured and taken to a hospital.

Another person was struck by lightning and injured during the storm in the city of Lake Norden, Schlotterbeck said. He said numerous homes were damaged by what were believed to be straight-line winds but a count was not possible after darkness fell. "The power's out and we've suspended all operations until the morning," he said.

At least four tornadoes were seen sweeping through rural areas of Nebraska’s southern Panhandle, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Storm watchers reportedly spotted a twister and golf-ball-sized hail in the city of Sidney on Friday afternoon, the newspaper reported. There were similar sightings in the cities of Colton, Brownson and Potter.

Parts of southern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin were under flash flood watches early Saturday, the National Weather Service said. In St. Croix County, Wisc., 1.5 inches of rain in 40 minutes was reported, the Weather Service said.

The Upper Midwest may be due for a weekend of heavy rainfall, according to Dr. Greg Forbes, a severe weather expert with The Weather Channel.