[Black Hills Photo Gallery - Black Hills Storms - Spearfish 08/02/00] It occurred around 10:30pm on Wednesday August 2, 2000. Meterologists described it as a thunderstorm collapsing on itself. Hurricane force wind speeds were clocked at 94MPH, and the color of the storm cell showed up as purple in color, designating one of the strongest storms on the scale, all over the area. Structural damage was certain to be great, and in fact it totaled into the millions of dollars. But the people of the area went into action helping and assisting and the storm damage is beginning to get cleaned up. This is what's left of the sign in front of the Northpark Complex. Each of the 4 posts holding this sign was constructed of 4 2x8 boards and they simply snapped. This is what's left of the Johnson Ford billboard along Interstate 90. The remains of a road sign are visible by the metal frame in the foreground. Mobile homes suffered the most severe building damage. This particular one was blown completely off its supports. What's hard to see is that there is approximately six feet between the deck in the foreground and the house itself. I don't think storage shed roof's are supposed to point that way. Severe windward damage to a relatively new double-wide home. These two buildings used to be self-storage facilities near the interstate. Nearly half of the shingles on the roof of this Baptist church are missing. This clearly shows which way the wind was blowing. Trees probably suffered the worst damage of anything. Many truckloads of downed dree branches and downed trees were hauled out of town.