Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Minnesota, July 1, 1997

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Minnesota, July 1, 1997
Start: 1997-07-01T16:00
End: 1997-07-01T19:20
Location: Minnesota

July 1, 1997 · NWS FGF · 15 events in 5 counties and zones

4 tornado, 3 high wind, 3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $17,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 tornado, 3 high wind, 3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Clay

When: July 1, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wake low produced strong winds across the Moorhead area, knocking down trees and power lines. A tower set up to test the feasibility of wind generated electricity measured a gust of 138 mph at a height of 131 feet. The tower also measured an 81 mph gust at 98 feet and a 77 mph gust at 33 feet. The Fargo ASOS reported at peak wind of 51 mph. Boats were swamped and docks flipped on Pelican Lake and Lake Melissa due to the strong wind.

Hail, Polk

When: July 1, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Polk County, Mentor
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 47.700, -96.150

Tornado, Polk

When: July 1, 5:07 PM CST
Where: Polk County, Mentor
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Coordinates: 47.700, -96.150

High Wind, West Otter Tail

When: July 1, 5:30 PM CST
Where: West Otter Tail forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, West Becker

When: July 1, 5:30 PM CST
Where: West Becker forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Red Lake

When: July 1, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, 7 mi S of Red Lake Falls
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Coordinates: 47.780, -96.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When: July 1, 5:48 PM CST
Where: Polk County, 3 mi NE of Gentilly
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 47.830, -96.400

Hail, Red Lake

When: July 1, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, 3 mi S of Red Lake Falls
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.830, -96.270

Flash Flood, Polk

When: July 1, 6:34 PM CST
Where: Polk County, Gentilly
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Red Lake

When: July 1, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Huot
Property damage: $2,000
Coordinates: 47.880, -96.400

Strong wind blew over a shed and several trees.

Flash Flood, Red Lake

When: July 1, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Red Lake Falls
Coordinates: 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads were flooded due to the heavy rain.

Tornado, Red Lake

When: July 1, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, 1 mi SW of Red Lake Falls
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Coordinates: 47.870, -96.280

Tornado, Red Lake

When: July 1, 7:13 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Dorothy
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.2 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Coordinates: 47.930, -96.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Red Lake

When: July 1, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Dorothy
Property damage: $500
Coordinates: 47.930, -96.450

Flash Flood, Red Lake

When: July 1, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Red Lake County, Dorothy
Coordinates: 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water was reported over many roads in the Dorothy area.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Minnesota, 1997 Warnings in Minnesota, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5606649, 5606637, 5606638, 5606650, 5606651, 5606645, 5606639, 5606640, 5606641, 5606646, 5606642, 5606647, 5606643, 5606648, 5606644.