Thunderstorm Wind in Dickey County, North Dakota

A National Weather Service Storm Survey was conducted across Dickey County. Widespread mature hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted along a 45 mile long and 4 mile wide damage swath, along with thousands of acres of crop damage due to wind driven hail. Several communities along the damage path also had severe wind damage. Near Merricourt, damage was observed to a home and to several farm vehicles. In Monango, extensive tree damage was observed, including a large hardwood tree with the diameter of 22 inches. A pole barn and two grain bins were destroyed two miles south of Fullerton, along with several large trees snapped or uprooted. Around Oakes, numerous buildings sustained heavy damage, along with the destruction of a 200 foot radio station tower. Damage across Dickey County was extensive.

Extensive damage occurred throughout the city of Ellendale and surrounding areas. In Ellendale, many hardwood trees were snapped and others were uprooted, some falling onto homes. A home had almost all the shingles and much of the sheathing torn off the roof, and the garage door was collapsed inward. Some power poles were broken in town, and several power service lines to homes were torn. South of Ellendale to the South Dakota state line, multiple power poles were snapped. At the Ellendale Cemetery, multiple hardwood and softwood trees were snapped and others were uprooted. In parts of Ellendale, ping pong ball size hail accompanied the storm.

NWS storm survey completed on Monday, June 18, and confirmed the findings of emergency management officials, that very high thunderstorm winds and not a tornado caused the damage in Dickey County. Over most of the wind damage area the damage was consistent with wind speeds of 70 mph. However, in an area inside the city limits of Ellendale, from the elevator toward the northeast, damage was consistent with wind speeds of 85 mph. Damage was mainly to trees throughout the area and to grain bins in the immediate Ellendale area, along with a few power lines and a cell phone communications tower. Part of the elevator was completely toppled onto the street below. Note that some of the large diameter trees uprooted in Ellendale would have been consistent with 90 or 95 mph winds, and that speeds were reduced due to saturated soils. The area had received 16.7 inches of rain since March 1. There were no deaths or injuries.