Flooding in North Dakota, April 27 to 30, 2013

Name: Flooding in North Dakota, April 27 to 30, 2013
Start: 2013-04-27T14:42
End: 2013-04-30T23:59
Location: North Dakota

April 27 to 30, 2013 · NWS FGF · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

Melting snow caused overland flooding across portions of northeast North Dakota. Many rural roads were closed due to high water from the melting snow.

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: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $65,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 happened

The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.

Melting snow caused overland flooding across portions of northeast North Dakota. Many rural roads were closed due to high water from the melting snow.

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 Apr 26, 5:40 PM CST, 21 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 5:40 PM CST, 21 hours 2 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Walsh

When: April 27, 2:42 PM CST to April 30, 4:47 PM CST
Where: Walsh County, 4.97 mi NNW of Fairdale to 3.28 mi SSW of Adams
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.540, -98.290

A 55 year old Walsh County man is believed to have died after his pickup was swept away from a water-covered gravel road Monday evening, April 29th, about 3 miles southwest of Minto, N.D.. The pickup was recovered but the man's body has yet to be found.

Flood, Grand Forks

When: April 27, 7:24 PM CST to April 28, 6:42 PM CST
Where: Grand Forks County, 8.32 mi W of Forest River Colony to 7.44 mi SSW of Logan Center
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.190, -97.880

Flood, Traill

When: April 28, 6:24 PM CST to April 29, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Traill County, 3 mi NW of Buxton to 3 mi SW of Buxton
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 47.631, -97.146

Flood, Grand Forks

When: April 28, 6:43 PM CST to April 30, 3:53 PM CST
Where: Grand Forks County, 8.32 mi W of Forest River Colony to 7.44 mi SSW of Logan Center
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.190, -97.880

Flood, Towner

When: April 28, 7:17 PM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Towner County, 5.7 mi WNW of Hansboro to 15.18 mi SSW of Zion
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.990, -99.480

Flood, Cavalier

When: April 28, 7:17 PM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cavalier County, 3.08 mi NNE of Sarles to 8.89 mi SSW of Calio
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.990, -98.970

A 51 year old man from the Hannah, N.D., area is believed to have died from exposure while walking home after his pickup got stuck on a flooded road late Tuesday night, April 30th. His vehicle was left partially submerged in a ditch nearly 8 miles east of his home.

Flood, Pembina

When: April 28, 7:17 PM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Pembina County, 4.36 mi NNW of Walhalla Arpt to 1.45 mi SW of Gardar
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.990, -97.930

Flood, Walsh

When: April 30, 1:56 AM CST to 4:47 PM CST
Where: Walsh County, 3.72 mi E of Hoople to 2.67 mi WSW of Forest River
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.540, -97.550

Flood, Walsh

When: April 30, 4:48 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Walsh County, 4.97 mi NNW of Fairdale to 2.67 mi SSW of Adams
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 48.540, -98.290

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flood, Walsh	2013-04-29	55	Male	In Water	Direct
Flood, Cavalier	2013-04-28	51	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Indirect

What these are

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 North Dakota in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, April 2013

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: 439576, 439578, 439591, 439596, 439612, 439635, 439638, 439663, 439669.