North Dakota, 2001Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Dakota, August 14, 2001
August 14, 2001 · NWS FGF · 33 events in 11 counties and zones
17 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $113,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 33
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, 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 14, 1:05 PM CST, 15 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
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 8:21 AM CST, 4 hours 59 minutes before
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-142045-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
900 AM TUE AUG 2001
CORRECTION...SOUTH OF I-29 SHOULD BE SOUTH OF I-94
...CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...
SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN
NORTH DAKOTA AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION. WITH
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE THIS FRONT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUING INTO THE
EVENING HOURS.
AREA OF CONCERN...A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED
ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
BETTER CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE OVER
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA SOUTH OF I-94.
TIME...START AFTER 1 PM AND SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT.
TYPE OF HAZARD...MAINLY DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL.
KENNEDY
Event by event
17 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Towner
- When
- August 14, 1:20 PM CST
- Where
- Towner County, 3 mi SE of Hansboro
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.917, -99.317
Hail, Cavalier
- When
- August 14, 1:48 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, 3 mi SE of Sarles
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.917, -98.950
Hail, Cavalier
- When
- August 14, 2:17 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, 4 mi W of Dresden
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.817, -98.567
Hail, Cavalier
- When
- August 14, 2:28 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, Langdon
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.750, -98.367
Thunderstorm Wind, Cavalier
- When
- August 14, 2:30 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, Langdon
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.750, -98.367
A 58 mph wind gust was measured at an NDAWN site. The wind knocked down trees onto vehicles and powerlines. A fire started when a tree fell on a powerline near a house.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cavalier
- When
- August 14, 2:45 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier County, Osnabrock
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.667, -98.150
Trees were blown down and a grain elevator was damaged.
Hail, Ramsey
- When
- August 14, 2:54 PM CST
- Where
- Ramsey County, 3 mi E of Starkweather
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.450, -98.817
Hail, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:06 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, 3 mi SW of Mountain
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.650, -97.900
Thunderstorm Wind, Ramsey
- When
- August 14, 3:13 PM CST
- Where
- Ramsey County, 12 mi E of Devils Lake
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.100, -98.583
Thunderstorm Wind, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:15 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, 3 mi SE of Crystal
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.567, -97.617
Branches were blown down.
Hail, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, St Thomas
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.617, -97.450
Thunderstorm Wind, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, St Thomas
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.617, -97.450
Strong winds knocked over a grain auger.
Thunderstorm Wind, Walsh
- When
- August 14, 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- Walsh County, Grafton
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.417, -97.400
Thunderstorm Wind, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, Drayton
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.567, -97.167
Trees were blown down in Drayton.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pembina
- When
- August 14, 3:49 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina County, 3 mi N of Drayton
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.617, -97.167
Thunderstorm Wind, Walsh
- When
- August 14, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Walsh County, 10 mi NE of Grafton
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 48.517, -97.250
Hail, Griggs
- When
- August 14, 5:50 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs County, 4 mi N of Sutton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.450, -98.450
Hail, Benson
- When
- August 14, 7:45 PM CST
- Where
- Benson County, 4 mi SE of Oberon
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.883, -99.133
Hail, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 7:55 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 3 mi E of Sheyenne
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.833, -99.050
Hail, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 6 mi SE of Sheyenne
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.767, -99.033
Hail, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 8:20 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 5 mi W of New Rockford
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.683, -99.233
Tornado, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 8:29 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 3 mi E of New Rockford
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 25 yd
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.683, -99.067
A brief touchdown was reported.
Hail, Nelson
- When
- August 14, 8:35 PM CST
- Where
- Nelson County, 3 mi SW of Michigan City
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.983, -98.167
Hail, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 8:36 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 1 mi E of New Rockford
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.683, -99.117
Thunderstorm Wind, Griggs
- When
- August 14, 9:30 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs County, Binford
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.567, -98.350
Branches were blown down.
Hail, Grand Forks
- When
- August 14, 9:59 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks County, 8 mi W of Grand Forks
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.917, -97.217
Hail, Grand Forks
- When
- August 14, 10:04 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks County, Grand Forks
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.917, -97.050
Hail was reported at the NWS office.
Thunderstorm Wind, Grand Forks
- When
- August 14, 10:05 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks County, Grand Forks Arpt
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.950, -97.183
Hail, Grand Forks
- When
- August 14, 10:09 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks County, Grand Forks
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.917, -97.050
Flash Flood, Grand Forks
- When
- August 14, 10:42 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks County, Grand Forks
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Street flooding was reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Griggs
- When
- August 14, 10:45 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs County, 5 mi S of Hannaford
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.250, -98.183
Branches were blown down.
Flash Flood, Eddy
- When
- August 14, 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy County, 10 mi NE of New Rockford
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Basement flooding was reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Barnes
- When
- August 14, 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- Barnes County, 2 mi NE of Rogers
- Property damage
- $500
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 47.083, -98.167
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Heat in Texas, August 14, 20011 death · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Texas, August 14, 2001$250,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Colorado, August 14, 2001$100,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Utah, August 14, 2001$60,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, August 14, 20011 injured · $30,000 · 80 kt wind · 1 event
- Flash Flood and Hail in Minnesota, August 14, 2001$14,000 · 1.75 in hail · 19 events
- Wildfire in California, August 14 to 15, 20013 injured · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Florida, August 14, 20011 injured · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in Kansas, August 14, 200161 kt wind · 5 events
- Flooding in New York, August 14, 20015 events
- Flooding and Damaging Wind in New Jersey, August 14, 20014 events
- Hail in New Mexico, August 14, 20010.75 in hail · 3 events
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: 5264504, 5264505, 5264506, 5264507, 5264508, 5264509, 5264510, 5264511, 5264512, 5264513, 5264514, 5264515, 5264601, 5264621, 5264602, 5264603, 5264604, 5264605, 5264606, 5264607, 5264608, 5264609, 5264610, 5264611, 5264612, 5264613, 5264614, 5264615, 5264616, 5264617, 5264618, 5264619, 5264620.