Flash Flooding and Flood in Minnesota, July 7 to 9, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding and Flood in Minnesota, July 7 to 9, 2002
Start: 2002-07-07T14:30
End: 2002-07-09T09:00
Location: Minnesota

July 7 to 9, 2002 · NWS MPX · 15 events in 6 counties and zones

6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: $15,000
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.

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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 12:58 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 12:58 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
158 PM CDT SUN JUL 7 2002

WILL BE ISSUING A FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR THE MN CWA NORTH OF A
RWF TO LVN LINE AND FOR TONIGHT AND MONDAY OVER ALL OF THE WEST
CENTRAL WI CWA. LATEST EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOK CIRCLES MY AREA OF
CONCERN FROM THIS MORNING. THE DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWS IS BASED ON
THE 12Z ETA. MUCH OF CENTRAL MN IS IN AN AREA OF H8-H3 THICKNESS
DIFFLUENCE TONIGHT WITH AN E-W THICKNESS GRADIENT ACROSS NORTHERN
MN. CENTRAL MN ALSO LIES AT THE NOSE OF THE H8 THETA-E RIDGE. STRONG
LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION PASSES ACROSS THIS AREA TONIGHT ALONG WITH
GOOD Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE (-10). 310K THETA SURFACE SHOWS TREMENDOUS
ISENTROPIC OMEGA TONIGHT AS WELL WITH MIXING RATIO VALUES 12 G/KG.
UPGLIDE IS ON THE ORDER OF 150 MB (900-750) FROM MML TO STC BY
08/06Z. PWS ARE IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES. CLOUD COVER CURRENTLY IS
CREATING A THERMAL BOUNDARY FROM NORTH OF EAU THROUGH THE TWIN
CITIES TO APPLETON. TEMPERATURES HAVE REACHED INTO THE LOWER 90S IN
THE SUN SOUTH OF THIS LINE WITH LOWER 80S TO THE NORTH. LOW PRESSURE
OVER CENTRAL SD IS PROGGED INTO CENTRAL MN OVERNIGHT WITH
TROUGH-WARM FRONT EXTENDING EASTWARD. MODEL VORTICITY IS ALSO RISING
TONIGHT TO OUR NW. THINKING IS CONVECTION WILL BEGIN DEVELOPING
LATER THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THIS BOUNDARY AND EXPAND AS THE EVENING
PROGRESSES. 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN LIKELY TONIGHT. 5 INCH AMOUNTS NOT
OUT OF THE QUESTION GIVEN THE PWS..INSTABILITY AND PROFILE FOR SLOW
MOVING/BACK BUILDING CONVECTION. INGREDIENTS MENTIONED ABOVE SLIDE
INTO WEST CENTRAL WI BEFORE DAYBREAK AND THEN DOWN THROUGH EAU
DURING THE MORNING. TEMPORARY RELIEF IN SIGHT MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SHORT WAVE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACH FROM
THE NW WEDNESDAY. THIS FEATURE LOOKS LIKE IT COULD DEEPEN OVER THE
AREA AND KEEP SHOWERS GOING ON THURSDAY AS WELL. WENT DRY ON FRIDAY
WITH MORE RAIN COMING BACK FOR SATURDAY. WRKOZF AROUND 3 PM.

.MSP...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT N OF A REDWOOD FALLS TO LAKEVILLE LINE.
       FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND MONDAY W CENTRAL WI CWA.

HILTBRAND

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 204 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Todd

When: July 7, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Todd County, 1 mi W of Hewitt
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.333, -95.100

Trees down.

Hail, Todd

When: July 7, 2:45 PM CST to 2:50 PM CST
Where: Todd County, 5 mi ENE of Hewitt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 46.367, -94.983

Hail, Stearns

When: July 7, 4:45 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, Paynesville
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 45.383, -94.733

Hail, Kandiyohi

When: July 7, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Kandiyohi County, 10 mi W of New London
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.300, -95.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Stearns

When: July 7, 6:15 PM CST to 6:25 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, 6 mi S of Richmond
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 45.367, -94.533

Scattered trees down in a six mile long path.

Hail, Stearns

When: July 7, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Stearns County, 5 mi NW of Sauk Centre
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 45.783, -95.033

Hail, Todd

When: July 7, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Todd County, 3 mi SW of Little Sauk
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.833, -94.967

Hail, Todd

When: July 7, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Todd County, Gutches Grove
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.950, -94.967

Thunderstorm Wind, Douglas

When: July 7, 9:41 PM CST
Where: Douglas County, 7 mi NE of Alexandria
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.950, -95.283

Few trees down across power lines.

Flash Flood, Todd

When: July 7, 10:05 PM CST to July 8, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Todd County, North Portion
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 46.071, -94.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Rainfall of 4.5 to 6.5 inches fell across the northern tier of townships in Todd County, from 2 miles north of Hewitt to 4 miles southeast of Staples. Six roads were washed out in Villard township, southeast of Staples.

Flash Flood, Douglas

When: July 7, 10:15 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Douglas County, Alexandria
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.934, -95.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous streets flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mille Lacs

When: July 8, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Mille Lacs County, 8 mi N of Milaca
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.850, -93.633

Hundreds of trees down. Two barns and one shed down.

Flash Flood, Mille Lacs

When: July 8, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where: Mille Lacs County, Northeast Portion
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.938, -93.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to seven inches rain fell on the southeast side of Mille Lacs Lake, generally from Isle to 8 N Isle. Water came over Highway 27 as well as the intersection of Highways 47 and 18. Two township roads were washed out. Water surrounded cabins along Cedar Creek, and along Peterson's Creek near Hunter Point.

Flash Flood, Kanabec

When: July 8, 4:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Kanabec County, North Portion
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.945, -93.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five to six inches of rain in the pre-dawn hours washed out several township roads.

Flood, Kanabec

When: July 8, 7:00 PM CST to July 9, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Kanabec forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.945, -93.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Snake River and tributaries overflowed their banks in the wake of heavy rain early on July 8 (see corresponding entry for Kanabec County Flash Flood). Several county and township roads were flooded, sandbagging was necessary along Riverside Avenue in Mora, and Peninsula drive collapsed near the east side of Knife Lake.

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, July 2002

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: 5311158, 5311156, 5311159, 5311157, 5311160, 5311161, 5311162, 5311163, 5311164, 5309907, 5311166, 5311165, 5309908, 5309909, 5309910.