Flash Flooding and Hail in North Dakota, August 27, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in North Dakota, August 27, 2002
Start: 2002-08-27T01:20
End: 2002-08-27T11:00
Location: North Dakota

August 27, 2002 · NWS FGF · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

2 flash flood, 2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: $10,000
Events: 5

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 26, 7:15 PM CST, 6 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 7:15 PM CST, 6 hours 5 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
815 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

MAIN CHALLENGE YET THIS EVENING IS ONGOING SEVERE WEATHER. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR A PORTION OF WESTERN FA UNTIL 9 PM
CDT. HOWEVER...QUITE A BIT OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES OVER THE
ENTIRE AREA...NOT JUST THE WATCH AREA. LATEST SFC MAP SHOWS WEAK SFC
LOW OVER THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS WITH A NUMBER OF BOUNDARIES OVER THE
FA. WITH WEAK WIND FLOW THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COLUMN...HARD TO PICK
OUT EXACTLY WHERE THE MAIN BOUNDARIES ARE. HOWEVER...THERE WAS A
WARM FRONT OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FA EARLIER WITH TEMPS
SURGING TO AROUND 90. THIS BOUNDARY APPEARS TO BE SAGGING SLOWLY
SOUTHWARD INTO WEST CENTRAL MN WHERE PLENTY OF MOISTURE REMAINS.
12Z/18Z ETA/AVN SHOW ANOTHER VORTICITY LOBE MOVING INTO THIS AREA
AROUND 06Z. SECOND AREA OF CONVECTION OVER NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAIN WAVE WHICH SHOWS UP WELL ON WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY. THIS AREA ALSO HAS THE BEST INSTABILITY ON MSAS...WITH SFC
BASED LIS TO -11. THEREFORE EXPECT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TO
CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH THE WATCH EXPIRATION TIME AND LIKELY
AFTER. THIS COVERED WELL IN CURRENT ZONES. WILL WAIT TO SEE WHAT SPC
DECIDES TO DO WITH WATCHES BEFORE UPDATING SINCE WATCH WILL BE ONLY
BIG ZONE CHANGE.

.FGF...NONE.

GODON

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 26, 7:52 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
852 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0852 PM    4 NE ELIZABETH            MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   OTTER TAIL                     REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

DPORTER

Local storm report, Aug 26, 8:15 PM CST, 5 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
915 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0345 PM    7 E EUCLID                MN   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   POLK                           HAIL ONE INCH DEEP ON
                                          GROUND. REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0345 PM    EUCLID                    MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   POLK                           REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0400 PM    3 NE DOROTHY              MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0407 PM    6 SE EUCLID               MN   TORNADO
08/26/02   POLK                           REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

0415 PM    6 W RED LAKE FALLS        MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0415 PM    4 W ST. HILAIRE           MN   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   PENNINGTON                     REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0430 PM    RED LAKE FALLS            MN   1.25 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       HAIL FELL FOR 25 MINUTES.
                                          REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0430 PM    RED LAKE FALLS            MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0445 PM    RED LAKE FALLS            MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0455 PM    6 SW MINNEWAUKAN          ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   BENSON                         REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0500 PM    MINNEWAUKAN               ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   BENSON                         HAIL FELL FOR HALF AN
                                          HOUR. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT.

0512 PM    MADDOCK                   ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   BENSON

0512 PM    2 W TERREBONNE            MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE                       SMALL BRANCHES DOWN.

0540 PM    PENN                      ND   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RAMSEY

0545 PM    LEEDS                     ND   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   BENSON                         REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0600 PM    3 E RANUM                 MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   NORMAN

0610 PM    FERTILE                   MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   POLK

0615 PM    3 NW BEJOU                MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   MAHNOMEN

0615 PM    WINGER                    MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   POLK                           HAIL ONE INCH DEEP ON
                                          GROUND.

0620 PM    CANDO                     ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   TOWNER                         REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER.

0630 PM    4 NE WASKISH              MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   BELTRAMI                       HAIL FELL FOR 15 MINUTES.

0640 PM    5 NW BISBEE               ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   TOWNER

0700 PM    5 SW BORUP                MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   NORMAN

0700 PM    7 NW FELTON               MN   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   CLAY

0705 PM    PARK RIVER                ND   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   WALSH

0716 PM    PARK RIVER                ND   1.25 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   WALSH

0718 PM    PARK RIVER                ND   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   WALSH                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT.

0720 PM    2 SW FELTON               MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   CLAY

0730 PM    3 NW FELTON               MN   WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02   CLAY                           3 INCH TREE BRANCHES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0852 PM    4 NE ELIZABETH            MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   OTTER TAIL                     REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

DPORTER

Local storm report, Aug 26, 8:54 PM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS, ND
954 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0442 PM    2 NW VERGAS               MN   .88 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   OTTER TAIL

0455 PM    2 SW PENCER               MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   ROSEAU

0525 PM    3 SW BROOKS               MN   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RED LAKE

0540 PM    PENN                      ND   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RAMSEY                         BROKE WINDOWS

0620 PM    FOSSTON                   MN   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   POLK

0852 PM    4 NE ELIZABETH            MN   1.00 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   OTTER TAIL

WJB

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood, 2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benson

When: August 27, 1:20 AM CST
Where: Benson County, 4 mi W of Leeds
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.283, -99.517

Crops were flattened.

Flash Flood, Benson

When: August 27, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Benson County, 2 mi NE of Minnewaukan
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several farms and numerous fields were flooded.

Flash Flood, Benson

When: August 27, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Benson County, 1 mi W of Leeds
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One lane of US Highway 2 near Leeds was closed due to the flooding rains. 200 feet of the westbound lane were closed until the water receded.

Hail, Cavalier

When: August 27, 9:15 AM CST
Where: Cavalier County, 3 mi N of Alsen
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.683, -98.700

Hail, Cavalier

When: August 27, 9:25 AM CST
Where: Cavalier County, 8 mi NE of Langdon
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 48.833, -98.250

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

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, August 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: 5317645, 5317648, 5317649, 5317646, 5317647.