North Dakota, 2002

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, August 30, 2002

August 30, 2002 · NWS FGF · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

4 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 30, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 30, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
845 PM CDT FRI AUG 30 2002

MODELS APPEAR TO HAVE A NICE HANDLE ON THE LOW (925-850MB) LEVEL JET
CURRENTLY THOUGH MAYBE 10 KNOTS LOW. KMVX RADAR SHOWS 45-55 KNOTS AT
3-4 KFT AND SEEMS TO FIT THE MODELS DEPICTION THAT THE JET MAX IS
OVER EASTCENTRAL ND AND READY TO FEED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
NORTHEAST TOWARD DVL. NORTHERN COUNTIES TO BE UNDER GREATEST THREAT
OF HEAVY RAIN/SEVERE STORMS TONIGHT...UNFORTUNATELY THE AREA LEAST
ABLE TO HANDLE IT DUE TO ALREADY SATURATED SOILS. NOSE OF THETA-E
RIDGE IS ALSO FEEDING THOSE STORMS WHICH WILL ROTATE INTO NORTHEAST
ND AND STAY PRETTY MUCH ALL NIGHT. REST OF REGION MAY NOT HAVE MORE
THAN SCATTERED THUNDER TONIGHT BUT WILL LEAVE ZONES ALONE FOR NOW AS
THUNDERTORMS WEST OF ABR MAY GROW IN NUMBER IN HIGH MOISTURE. SOME
OF THE MODELS ALSO SUGGEST RESPECTABLE LOW LEVEL MOIST CONVERGENCE
OVER MUCH OF THE REGION TONIGHT.

.FGF...FLOOD WATCH ALL ZONES FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.
GV

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Nelson

When
August 30, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Nelson County, 1 mi W of Michigan City
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.017, -98.133

Large branches were blown down and a tin roof was blown off a pole barn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grand Forks

When
August 30, 9:38 PM CST
Where
Grand Forks County, 1 mi W of Orr
Property damage
$300
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.100, -97.700

Numerous large tree branches were broken off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Grand Forks

When
August 30, 9:40 PM CST to 9:45 PM CST
Where
Grand Forks County, 3 mi W of Inkster
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.150, -97.717

Several trees were blown over in a shelter belt.

Hail, Walsh

When
August 30, 9:50 PM CST
Where
Walsh County, Forest River
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.217, -97.467

Hail, Grand Forks

When
August 30, 9:50 PM CST
Where
Grand Forks County, 2 mi N of Johnstown
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.183, -97.467

Hail, Traill

When
August 30, 11:45 PM CST to 11:50 PM CST
Where
Traill County, Reynolds
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.683, -97.100

Hail, Grand Forks

When
August 30, 11:45 PM CST to 11:50 PM CST
Where
Grand Forks County, 7 mi S of Thompson
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.683, -97.100

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5317899, 5317900, 5317901, 5317895, 5317898, 5317896, 5317897.