North Dakotans are no strangers to severe weather. On this date in 1912, the state was dealing with the aftermath of a devastating hailstorm. The Bismarck Daily Tribune reported, “The most disastrous hailstorm in years swept this section, destroying hundreds of acres of fine grain.”
The storm came up suddenly out of the southwest and cut a wide swath of damage as it continued to the north and east. Homes and barns were damaged and livestock injured. Virtually all the crops in the path of the storm were a total loss.
Burleigh County was typical, with broken windows, flattened crops, and damaged vehicles. The storm continued across the state, so widespread that it got attention from newspapers across the country. A Maryland newspaper reported that strips of land miles long and miles wide might as well be plowed up. The misery did not end with the passing of the storm. Cold temperatures left North Dakotans wearing overcoats in July and dealing with piles of hail a foot deep in places.
In some towns there were almost no windows left unbroken. Big panes of glass in storefronts were smashed into small shards. Some houses didn’t have a single pane of glass remaining. Business owners and homeowners covered the openings with whatever material was at hand to keep out the heavy rain that followed the hail. Thousands of dollars were lost in damaged household goods, store merchandise, and building interiors. Farmers had to repair not only their homes, but their barns and fences as well. George Hill, owner of the hardware store in Ardoch, North Dakota, said he would have to order an entire carload of window glass to repair the damage.
A little over a week later, the Grand Forks area was hit by yet another hailstorm. Thirty-seven farmers in that region lost what remained of their crops. Buildings were blown down, windows were again smashed, and there were several injuries. Newspapers found it difficult to report on the event as all the wires were down.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Bismarck Daily Tribune. “Hail Does Damage.” Bismarck, ND. 7/13/1912. Page 2.
Bismarck Daily Tribune. “Need a Carload of Glass.” Bismarck, ND. 7/13/1912. Page 2.
Jamestown Weekly Alert. “Hit by Hail Two Times.” Jamestown ND. 8/1/1912. Page 7.
Democratic Messenger. “Destructive Hail in North Dakota. Snow Hill, MD. 7/13/1912. Page 7.
Turner County Herald. “Sunday Morning.” Hurley, SD. 7/18/1912. Page 5.
Minot Daily News. “Hail, heavy rain leave damage in Minot region.” https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2019/09/hail-heavy-rain-leave-damage-in-minot-region/ Accessed 6/8/2021.
National Weather Service. “North Dakota Severe Weather History.” https://www.weather.gov/bis/ndtorhistory Accessed 6/8/2021.
