6/16/2005:
Grand Forks witnessed one of the worst windstorms in the recorded history of North Dakota on this day in 1887. The storm caused over $100,000 in damage and 4 deaths; trees were uprooted, and 100 homes and most businesses were damaged.
The storm came so quickly it caught most citizens off guard. Two different storms, one from the south and the other from the northwest, collided over the city shortly after 3:00. Rain and hail began to fall and winds increased to 70 miles per hour. A half-hour later, the city was in ruins. The storm was so ferocious, regional newspapers labeled it a cyclone.
The Grand Forks Herald reported, “The meeting of these clouds was the signal for hostilities to begin among the elements, which was signaled by a sudden flash of lightning and a deafening peal of thunder sounding like a bursting bomb close by; this was followed by a wind storm that came with terrific force, accompanied by blinding sheets of rain and hail that for several minutes as a time obscured all vision.”
The Fargo Daily Argus added, “Houses were blown down, unroofed, or torn from their foundations, while the ears were deafened by the crash of falling houses and the terrific roar of the storm. Teams broke loose, and tore wildly through the streets; the air was filled with flying timber and no element of confusion was missing from the scene.”
Two of the storm’s four casualties, a Mrs. Follet and 12 year-old Cora Starbird, were killed instantly when a two-story home collapsed. The third, a Mrs. Davis, later died of injuries sustained in the same collapse. Mr. Halvor Loiland, a farmer, was struck and killed by lightning four miles west of the city.
Afterwards, it was difficult for people to find where the fairgrounds had been; nothing was left but wooden planks strewn on the ground. The two upper stories of UND’s west wing were in complete ruin. Luckily, summer vacation had commenced the previous day, and no students were injured, but the University’s museum was hit very hard. One story read, “Prof. Montgomery’s magnificent collections are all destroyed... At one fell sweep of the wind he lost what cost years of faithful work and diligence.”
Most of the city’s residential areas were devastated, and “houses that were not blown down outright, were so badly damaged as to be uninhabitable.” St. Michael’s Church was destroyed; other churches were offering the congregation their facilities until a new church could be built.
The roof of the Grand Forks roller mill was torn off, ruining equipment and sacks of flour stored inside. The damage there was estimated at $10,000.
One story read, “May Cambell attempted to hold a door shut, but the wind was too strong and she was carried with terrible force out of the house and over the prairie for about forty yards. Her shoulder was slightly hurt, but she had a most thrilling experience and was nearly crushed by a falling building.”
Another report said, “A barn belonging to W H Vosberg was lifted up, inverted and dropped, driving the roof into the ground.”
A southbound passenger train near Pierson was even blown off its tracks into a ditch; most of the passengers sustained injuries, but fortunately there were no fatalities.
Sources: The Grand Forks Herald. June 17, 1887.
The Daily Argus. June 18, 1887.
Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm