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North Dakota Flood Stories

414 first-hand accounts of flood events in North Dakota, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flash Flood2 deaths$750K damage

Sioux, ND · Jul 8, 2019

A surface boundary stretching from southwest into north central North Dakota served as the primary focal point for thunderstorm development in an atmosphere of very high instability.

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Flood2 deaths$30K damage

Hettinger, ND · May 1, 2022

A male and female, both 74 years old, from Arcadia, Oklahoma attempted to pass through a low water crossing on the Cannonball River near 96th Ave. SW and 71st St. SW in Hettinger County at around 1:00 PM MDT on May 1.

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Flood2 deaths$600K damage

La Moure, ND · Mar 21, 1997

Warm weather toward the end of March lead to rapid snow melt across southcentral North Dakota. This in turn lead to flooding across much of the area. Near the confluence of Spring Creek and the Knife River, the town of Beulah(Mercer Co) had 150 families evacuated.

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Flood2 deaths

Cass, ND · Apr 3, 2011

The winter of 2010-2011 generally brought above normal amounts of snow to the area, but particularly so for the Devils Lake basin, the Sheyenne River basin, and the Wild Rice River basin.

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Flood1 death$20K damage

Rolette, ND · Apr 16, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$500K damage

Barnes, ND · Apr 1, 2001

Spring snowmelt and overland flooding led to numerous road closures, road and culvert washouts, and bridge closures around Barnes county. Three people were injured in Minnie Lake Township when a road collapsed beneath their car.

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Flash Flood$8.0M damage

Burleigh, ND · Aug 13, 2024

Torrential downpours with between two and five inches of rain moved through the Bismarck area as a very slow moving thunderstorm passed over. Storm sewer and drainage systems in the city were overwhelmed by the intense rain rates.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Burleigh, ND · Sep 14, 2025

A low-pressure center moved north from South Dakota to North Dakota with a warm front lifting to the north. This resulted in strong low-level wind shear over central North Dakota.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Stutsman, ND · Jun 2, 2024

Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours as an inverted surface trough, extending from low pressure in western South Dakota, and a warm front, extending from far south central North Dakota into the James River Valley, moved through.

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Flood$540K damage

Dunn, ND · Apr 16, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$450K damage

Morton, ND · Apr 11, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Morton, ND · Sep 14, 2025

A low-pressure center moved north from South Dakota to North Dakota with a warm front lifting to the north. This resulted in strong low-level wind shear over central North Dakota.

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Flood$4.0M damage

McKenzie, ND · Mar 21, 2019

Significant ice jam related high waters created flooding along the Yellowstone River in northwest North Dakota from March 21 to March 28. During this time, homes and infrastructure that had not been inundated in over a generation were impacted.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Stark, ND · Jul 3, 2022

Thunderstorms developed near and ahead of a surface low over southeast Montana, and moved into North Dakota where strong deep layer shear and instability were noted. Some of the storms became severe, with strong wind gusts as the main threat.

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Flash Flood$800K damage

Williams, ND · Jun 10, 2021

A strong short-wave trough moved into the Northern Plains as a slow moving warm front lifted through North Dakota. Very strong instability developed by afternoon, along with increased deep layer shear. The initial storms occurred over west-central and northwest North Dakota.

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Flood$10.0M damage

Ramsey, ND · Apr 21, 1997

Snowmelt caused lakes, coulees, and ditches to fill with water, running toward Devils Lake. The 3 coulees running into Devils Lake experienced record flows. 80 percent of the county roads were estimated to be under water at some point.

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Flood$140K damage

McHenry, ND · Apr 16, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$140K damage

Golden Valley, ND · Apr 11, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$3.0B damage

Grand Forks, ND · Apr 18, 1997

The Red River reached a new record level in Grand Forks, just over 54 feet, on April 21st/22nd, shattering the previous record by over 5 feet. Problems with the river gauge led to difficulties in obtaining stages.

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Flash Flood$600K damage

Emmons, ND · Jun 8, 2021

An extended period consisting of two days of continuous severe weather occurred from June 7 through June 8. Thunderstorms initially developed along a warm front over the James River Valley into parts of south central North Dakota where strong instability and deep layer shear…

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Flash Flood$250K damage

Burleigh, ND · Aug 23, 2022

Severe weather developed over central into parts of western North Dakota in an environment of enhanced instability and marginal deep layer shear. Many crops were damaged as hail combined with strong wind gusts.

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Flood$110K damage

Mountrail, ND · Apr 11, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$100K damage

Wells, ND · Apr 16, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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Flood$100K damage

La Moure, ND · Apr 16, 2023

The spring snow melt of 2023 saw many areas of flooding over North Dakota due to a record deep snow pack and relatively fast melt. Multiple counties experienced infrastructure damage due to the flooding.

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