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UPDATED: Minor damage reported in Grand Forks County after storms; rail cars overturned in Traill County
Jun. 21—GRAND FORKS — Minor damage was reported in Grand Forks County and elsewhere in the Grand Forks region following a night of high winds and tornado-like weather, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.
However, farther south in the Grand Forks region — especially in and around Mayville — the damage was worse. Traill County Sheriff Steve Hunt told the Grand Forks Herald that power was out for some residents, a diesel fuel tank was tipped over and rail cars were overturned in the southern part of his county.
As the sun rose in Grand Forks County, residents generally awoke to very minor damage, such as a few branches scattered about. Some were without power until around 5 a.m.
A tornado warning was issued for Grand Forks County just after midnight Saturday morning, June 21, as strong winds moved into the area from Griggs County to the west. The tornado warning was downgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning shortly after, and that warning expired around 5 a.m., National Weather Service lead forecaster Tim Lynch said.
A tornado signature was observed in Griggs County, but there has been no confirmation of a tornado in Grand Forks County. Local wind speeds reached 69 mph at Grand Forks International Airport. In the region, wind speeds reached 110 mph in Steele County and up to 80 to 90 mph in Traill County, Lynch said.
Ben Gates, director of emergency management in Steele County, said that as of 10 a.m. Saturday, damage assessments were being done throughout the county, including in the city of Hope, which had several large trees fall.
"I'd say a large majority of the trees in the city are down, covering streets and stuff like that," Gates said.
Several homes had trees fall on their roofs, he said, and others sustained damage from shingles being ripped off. Homeowners also reported their patios, trampolines and other outdoor items were taken by the storm. As far as Gates knew, there were no injuries reported.
"We have a pretty robust emergency alert system, so we were (relying) pretty heavily on that last night, and I think it was pretty well received," he said.
As county employees work to clear the streets, Gates asks residents to stay clear, holding off on driving around to assess the damage.
"Make sure that we're giving the crew space and time to work," he said.
Structural damage from high winds was reported near Bemidji.
Three people were killed overnight in a tornado that hit Enderlin, North Dakota, an hour west of Fargo in Cass and Ransom counties, WDAY reported Saturday morning.
The region is now in peak storm season, which generally lasts from late June through July, Lynch said, and he characterized the overnight storms as on the stronger side of normal for this time of year.
"The wind was profound on this one," he said.
In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, a drive through town showed very minor damage, including small tree branches down and construction signs toppled.
"We were so lucky. No major damage anywhere in the county," said Kari Goelz, Grand Forks County's emergency management director. "Only a handful of power outages."
She said Grand Forks received just over an inch of rain. And more good news for Greater Grand Forks: Goelz said the Grand Forks Fair would open on schedule Saturday after closing early Friday evening.
In Mayville, numerous tree branches were downed by the storm. Community members began working shortly after sunup to clear the debris. Mayville received an inch of rain, according to WDAY.
Sheriff Hunt said Mayville was hit with strong winds, but the worst of it was in the southwest corner of Traill County, near Clifford and Galesburg.
"We have tons of trees down (and) power lines are down," he told the Herald. "We some grain bins and structures like that that have been damaged and tipped over."
He said the focus is to get the streets open and power restored. It could take several days to get power back on for some in Traill County, he said.
Hunt encourages anyone in the area to be aware of downed power lines.
Conditions could favor more storms for the Red River Valley on Sunday, when a cold front will approach from the west. There will be a potential for more strong thunderstorms, possibly bringing damaging wind gusts up to 75 mph, golf ball-sized hail and the potential for a tornado or two, Lynch said.
He urged people to monitor the forecast through the rest of the weekend.
"Be mindful of how you get your warnings," he said. "Make sure you have multiple ways of getting your warnings, (Sunday) for sure."
