BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Bismarck and Aberdeen deployed teams Thursday to assess storm damage from severe weather that struck parts of North Dakota on Wednesday, August 28. The surveys focused on areas around Sterling in Burleigh County and Steele in Kidder County, where significant damage was reported.
According to the NWS Bismarck report, straight-line thunderstorm winds with speeds up to 100 mph caused substantial damage near Sterling between 7:04 p.m. and 7:09 p.m. CDT. The winds flattened sunflower crops and snapped approximately 15 power poles along Highway 83, two miles south of Sterling. Additionally, a large grain bin was dislodged and thrown to the east-southeast.
Further east, near Steele, a tornado was confirmed after photos and damage reports were submitted to the NWS. The tornado, rated EF-1, touched down around 7:53 p.m. CDT and lifted at 7:55 p.m. CDT. The twister caused significant damage to an oats crop, derailed over 40 empty train cars, and uprooted several hardwood trees in the area. Wind speeds from the tornado were estimated at around 100 mph.