A sudden storm that came earlier than winter decimated thousands of cattle in South Dakota. Animals had not yet grown their protective winter coats and were ill-prepared to cope with the conditions, Reuters reported. The cattle were killed because of suffocation as snow lodged in their lungs. Others died due to hypothermia or were either caught in gullies or thrown off slippery rock ledges.

According to WebProNews, estimates placed the loss at around 100,000 heads. Farmers reported losing 20% to 50% of their livestock because of the storm.

Reuters reported that South Dakota has the sixth largest cattle herd in the US. The US Agriculture Department reported that the state had 3.85 million heads as of January this year. However, the loss from blizzard has been estimated to reach tens of millions of dollars.

South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Executive Director Silvia Christen said a calf has a market value of USD 800 to USD 900 while each cow has a price tag of USD 1,800. Most cattle ranchers do not have insurance policies because they were costly. Thus, the sole financial assistance they would get is in the proposed farm bill's disaster program. However, the government shutdown has so far delayed the bill's passing and left the ranchers without financial aid.