Flash Flood, Cavalier
- When
- July 12, 5:00 AM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, Wales
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Crop damage
- $250,000
- Coordinates
- 48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood in North Dakota, July 12, 1997
Over 11 inches of rain fell in north central Cavalier county, near the town of Wales. Rainfall had to be estimated, as 11-inch rain gauges ran over.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Crop damage
- $250,000
- Events
- 1
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.
Over 11 inches of rain fell in north central Cavalier county, near the town of Wales. Rainfall had to be estimated, as 11-inch rain gauges ran over. Seven inches fell 2 miles south of Hannah and 5.6 inches fell 12 miles west of Langdon. One to five feet of water covered some fields and 30,000 to 50,000 acres of cropland was estimated to be flooded. Several homes reported sewer backup.
The radar
The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 162 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:01 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- 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
- Heat in Pennsylvania, July 12 to 18, 1997
- Heat in New Jersey, July 12 to 19, 1997
- Lightning Strikes in Florida, July 12, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, July 12, 1997
- Heat in Missouri, July 12 to 13, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Iowa, July 12, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Nebraska, July 12, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, July 12, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, July 12, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, July 12, 1997
- Heat in Maryland, July 12 to 19, 1997
- Heat in Delaware, July 12 to 19, 1997
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5606777.