North Dakota, 2022

Flash Flood in North Dakota, July 16, 2022

July 16, 2022 · NWS FGF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Isolated severe thunderstorms formed in eastern North Dakota during the early afternoon, then moved into west-central Minnesota during the mid to late afternoon. Hail and thunderstorm wind damage were reported.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Isolated severe thunderstorms formed in eastern North Dakota during the early afternoon, then moved into west-central Minnesota during the mid to late afternoon. Hail and thunderstorm wind damage were reported.

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 Jul 16, 2:53 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 2:53 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 16, 3:05 PM CST, 55 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 16, 1:25 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
225 PM CDT SAT JUL 16 2022

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0140 PM     TORNADO          1 NW ULEN               47.09N 96.27W
07/16/2022                   CLAY               MN   BROADCAST MEDIA

            BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYS VIDEO OF A LANDSPOUT
            NW OF ULEN MN. STATIONARY AND LASTED 2
            MINUTES. LOCATION APPROXIMATED BY RADAR.

&&
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 2:24 PM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
324 PM CDT Sat Jul 16 2022

MNZ029-030-162100-
Wilkin MN-West Otter Tail MN-
324 PM CDT Sat Jul 16 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central Otter
Tail and northeastern Wilkin Counties through 400 PM CDT...

At 324 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Rothsay, or 17 miles northwest of Fergus Falls, moving southeast at
15 mph.

HAZARD...Penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.

This strong thunderstorm will be near...
  Rothsay around 330 PM CDT.
  Erhard around 350 PM CDT.

This includes Interstate 94 in Minnesota between mile markers 29 and
46.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4659 9642 4663 9630 4663 9618 4664 9617
      4644 9598 4635 9632
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 331DEG 11KT 4651 9625

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH

Perroux
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 3:04 PM CST, 56 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 16, 3:10 PM CST, 50 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 16, 3:13 PM CST, 47 minutes before
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The radar

The Aberdeen radar (KABR), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Ransom

When
July 16, 4:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Ransom County, 5.62 mi SSE of Lisbon to 4.74 mi SSE of Lisbon
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.360, -97.620

Around 4 inches of rain fell in less than three hours over several sections of farm and ranchland in northern Aliceton and southern Big Bend Townships. This primarily impacted the confluence of dead colt creek and the Sheyenne River. Several sections of farmland and farm access roads were flooded and ditches were filled to overflowing upstream of the confluence of Dead Colt Creek and the Sheyenne River. This is near the Dead Colt Creek Reservoir.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, July 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1049245.