Minnesota, 2001

Flash Flood and Hail in Minnesota, August 14, 2001

August 14, 2001 · NWS FGF · 19 events in 7 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$14,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
19

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 1:05 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 14, 1:05 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
205 PM CDT TUE AUG 14 2001

AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION...WILL GO WITH FLASH FLOOD WATCH INSTEAD OF
FLOOD WATCH AS PREV DISCUSSED IN COORD CALLS.
--------------------------
PREV AFD...

PCPN CHANCES HIGHLIGHT CHALLENGES THIS FCST.  AFTER INTER-OFFICE
COORDINATION AND COORD WITH DLH/BIS WILL ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR
FAR NE ND AND NW MN (GFK-BJI AND POINTS NORTH) FOR TONIGHT.

.CURRENT...
18Z SFC MAP SHOWS LOW NORTH OF WINNIPEG WITH TROUGH SOUTHWEST TO
NORTH OF MINOT TO ANOTHER WK LOW IN WCNTRL ND.  TSRA CONTINUES TO
DEVELOP ALONG THIS BOUNDARY AND MOVE EAST...MAINLY ACROSS SRN MB.
COLD FRONT LOCATED A BIT FARTHER NORTHWEST AND BEGINNING TO CATCH UP
TO BOUNDARY NORTH OF MINOT AND CAUSING INCREASED CONVECTION ON KMBX
RADAR.  00Z ETA GFK SOUNDING SHOWS FREEZING LEVEL AT 12.6 KFT.

12Z MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT...AND LOOK AT UCAR MM5 AND WRF
SUPPORTS THEIR SOLNS OF BRINGING HEAVIEST PCPN DEVELOPING IN FAR NE
ND LATE THIS AFTN AND THEN OVER NW MN BTWN 00-06Z.

.SHORT TERM...
FRONT TO SAG SOUTHEAST ACROSS CWFA TONIGHT...REACHING FAR SE CWFA NR
12Z. EXPECT CONVECTION ALONG FRONT TONIGHT...ENDING NW ZONES BEFORE
MIDNIGHT.  HEAVIEST RAIN POTENTIAL PER DAY1 QPF AND MODEL QPF FROM
GFK-TVF-BJI-BDE ZONES...WHERE THEY HAVE HAD THE MOST RAINS THIS
SUMMER.  AFTER COORD WILL ISSUE AN FFA FOR TONIGHT FOR THAT AREA AS
THAT AREA STANDS THE BEST CHC OF WIDESPREAD 1+ INCH AMOUNTS.  SVR
POTENTIAL ALSO GOOD LATE THIS AFTN/EVE.  MSAS LI TO -10 IN CNTRL ND
WITH THETA E CONVERGENCE CONTINUING ALONG BOUNDARY TO OUR NORTHWEST.
GOOD SHEAR PROFILE AS WELL S-SW WINDS SFC-85H AND W-NW AT 70H SO
SUPERCELLS PSBL.

.LONGER TERM...
OVERNIGHT CONVECTION TO BE EXITING CWFA EARLY WED AM...THEN 50H
TROUGH TO DROP SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA 18-00Z WITH 50H TEMPS TO
-16C.  ETA SOUNDINGS SHOW CONVECTIVE TEMPS NR 70...WHICH WILL BE
REACHED. THUS WILL MAINTAIN POPS FOR TSRA WEDNESDAY PER CURRENT
ZONES.  TROUGH WILL PASS OUT OF AREA WED EVENING FOLLOWED BY HIGH
PRESSURE ON THURSDAY.

.EXTENDED...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THRU DAY 4 AND THEN SLOWLY
DIVERGE AFTER THEN. MRF SHOWING CONTINUITY WITH PREVIOUS RUN UNTIL
DAY 6 WITH LATEST RUNS DEPICTING A LESS AMPLIFIED PATTERN OVER THE
NRN TIER OF THE U.S. BY THEN. 5H LOW OVER THE NE PACIFIC MOVES ENE
INTO WRN CANADA AS TROF DROPS INTO THE ERN U.S. DAY 3 THRU 5. 5H RDG
MOVES E INTO THE NRN PLAINS BRINGING DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS FOR THE
WEEKEND. CHC FOR PCPN FRI INITIAL TROF PASSAGE AND AGAIN ON MON AS
SECOND SHRT WV MOVES THRU IN NEARLY ZONAL FLOW. BEST CHC FOR PCPN TO
BE OVER THE NE ZONES FRI AND WL BREAK UP EXTENDED TO REFLECT THIS.
NEAR NORMAL LOWS AND BLO NORMAL HIGHS TO PREVAIL THRU THE EXTENDED.

.FGF...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA...FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A GRAND FORKS
TO BEMIDJI LINE.

DR/RT

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Marshall

When
August 14, 3:35 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, 4 mi NE of Stephen
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.483, -96.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Kittson

When
August 14, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Kittson County, 1 mi NE of Robbin
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.583, -97.133

Numerous large trees were uprooted.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kittson

When
August 14, 4:04 PM CST
Where
Kittson County, 3 mi W of Kennedy
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.650, -96.983

Power poles were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
August 14, 4:05 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, Stephen
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.450, -96.867

A large tree was blown down and another tree fell on a porch roof.

Hail, Kittson

When
August 14, 4:10 PM CST
Where
Kittson County, 3 mi E of Karlstad
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.583, -96.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
August 14, 4:35 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, 3 mi NE of Radium
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.267, -96.567

Hail, Pennington

When
August 14, 4:48 PM CST
Where
Pennington County, 20 mi NW of Thief River Falls
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.333, -96.483

Flash Flood, Marshall

When
August 14, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, 7 mi NW of Strandquist
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Basement flooding was reported.

Hail, Polk

When
August 14, 5:09 PM CST
Where
Polk County, Crookston
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.783, -96.617

Hail, Polk

When
August 14, 5:13 PM CST
Where
Polk County, 2 mi W of Crookston
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.783, -96.667

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
August 14, 5:16 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, Gatzke
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.433, -95.783

A 63 mph wind gust was measured by a Minnesota DOT RWIS site.

Hail, Red Lake

When
August 14, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Red Lake County, Huot
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.883, -96.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
August 14, 5:27 PM CST
Where
Polk County, 6 mi N of Erskine
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.750, -96.017

A 60 mph wind gust was measured by an Minnesota DOT RWIS site.

Hail, Polk

When
August 14, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Polk County, 5 mi W of Harold
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.700, -96.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
August 14, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Polk County, 5 mi W of Harold
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.700, -96.600

Branches were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Beltrami

When
August 14, 5:43 PM CST
Where
Beltrami County, Fourtown
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.283, -95.333

Trees and powerlines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lake of the Woods

When
August 14, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Lake of the Woods County, 6 mi SE of Carp
Property damage
$500
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.433, -94.550

Branches were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Beltrami

When
August 14, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Beltrami County, Waskish
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.167, -94.500

Trees were blown down onto highway 72.

Hail, Polk

When
August 14, 10:11 PM CST
Where
Polk County, East Grand Forks
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
47.933, -97.017

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, August 2001

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: 5264622, 5264711, 5264623, 5264624, 5264625, 5264626, 5264627, 5264628, 5264629, 5264630, 5264702, 5264703, 5264704, 5264705, 5264706, 5264707, 5264708, 5264709, 5264710.