Wind Farm Near Highmore, South Dakota, has critical damage Highmore, SD

A powerful thunderstorm packing extreme straight-line winds slammed into central South Dakota this morning, leaving critical damage at a wind farm near Highmore in Hyde County.

Storm chaser Jakob McMillin documented the scene in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), showing multiple wind turbine towers collapsed or heavily damaged, with blades and structural debris scattered across the prairie. In replies to his post, McMillin stated he observed “over 20” turbines destroyed or critically damaged.

The Affected Wind Farm

The damaged facility is the South Dakota Wind Energy Center (also known as the Highmore Wind Energy Project or Highmore Wind Farm), located approximately 10 miles south of Highmore.

• Number of turbines: 27
• Turbine model: GE Vernova 1.5s (1.5 MW each)
• Total nameplate capacity: 40.5 MW
• Commissioning year: 2003 (South Dakota’s first major wind farm)
• Owner/Operator: NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy)
• Power purchaser: Basin Electric Power Cooperative

At full capacity, the project can generate enough electricity to power roughly 12,000 average homes.

Storm Details

The damage occurred during a severe thunderstorm that produced measured straight-line wind gusts of 131 mph near Highmore around 6:15–6:25 a.m. CDT (local time). These extreme winds were part of a series of macrobursts associated with the storm system.

Widespread damage was also reported across the town of Highmore itself, including:

• Roofs torn off buildings (including significant damage to St. Mary’s Catholic Church)
• Uprooted trees
• Toppled power poles
• Destroyed agricultural structures and grain bins

No injuries have been reported in connection with the wind farm damage.

Impact and Outlook

With more than 20 of the 27 turbines affected, the 40.5 MW facility faces substantial downtime while assessments, repairs, or replacements are carried out. Exact numbers, causes of individual failures (tower buckling, blade detachment, etc.), and repair timelines are not yet available from the owner.Wind turbines are engineered to withstand high winds (typically up to 3-second gusts of 144–161 mph per IEC standards, with some models rated higher), but the 131 mph straight-line winds recorded today represent an extreme event capable of causing major structural damage.

Context

This incident highlights the vulnerability of wind infrastructure to rare but intense straight-line wind events, even as wind power continues to expand in South Dakota. The state currently has thousands of megawatts of installed wind capacity across multiple projects.

Assessments by NextEra Energy Resources and local authorities are expected in the coming days. Energy News Beat will continue to monitor developments, repair progress, and any statements from the project owner.

Appendix: Sources and Links

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