The National Weather Service says eight tornadoes were reported in South Dakota late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. But most of the damage associated with the severe storms came from large hail.

Some of the worst hail damage reports came in from Sanborn County. Sanborn County sheriff Tom Fridley says the hail fell in a path that stretched about 12 miles long and three miles wide.

Sheriff Fridley has plenty of evidence from Wednesday's damaging hail storm, but Jeff Wormstadt has much more.

"Basically all the crops in this section are a total loss," Jeff said.

Jeff and his son weren't home during the storm Wednesday night but his wife was. She took shelter in the basement while hail, which was nearly the size of tennis balls, pummeled his fields and punched holes in the windows and siding of his house.

"She said that she was sure that there was a lot of glass breaking in the house," Jeff said. "And she was pretty worked up about it."

Sheriff Fridley was also pretty worked up. He and his deputy were pounded by hail in their vehicle just feet from Jeff's home.

"I found his driveway and tucked my unit in to protect it, and I probably picked the worst spot there could have been," Fridley said. "It seemed like an hour that it was getting beat on."

"It's an ominous feeling to know that mother nature can deal such a hand of destruction in a matter of 15 minutes to a half an hour," Jeff said.

Despite the damage, Jeff says all he can do now is start cleaning up.

"That's all you can do is pick up and regroup."

Jeff says he's humbled by the number of neighbors who have already stepped forward and offered to help. Just a week ago Jeff was helping his grandfather clean up after a storm ripped through the town of Menno.