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Community
Cooperatives
North Dakota Living
Cass County Electric Cooperative

Cass County Electric Cooperative saw significant damage throughout its system. Significant damage occurred around Lake Ashtabula, where some of the last members got their power restored a week later. PHOTO BY CASS COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

A historic June 20 storm brought thunderstorms, extreme winds, large hail, tornados and even a derecho – a term reserved for the most intense, widespread and long-lasting severe thunderstorms. Wind gusts were recorded up to 101 mph 5 miles northwest of Linton, 99 mph in northern Kidder County and 94 mph near Elgin. Tornados touched down across the region, including a fatal one that killed three people in rural Enderlin. Another storm-related death occured in Stutsman County.

It was the most deadly tornado North Dakota has seen in nearly five decades.

After the storm, electric cooperative crews worked around the clock to restore power. Most co-ops were able to restore electric services within a few days.

A week later on June 27, severe storms hit the region again, though without the force of earlier June storms. Tornadoes were spotted north of Bismarck and in Emmons County.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative
Roughrider Electric Cooperative crews work to repair a transmission line after the June 20 severe weather.
PHOTO COURTESY ROUGHRIDER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

 

 

 

North Bismarck
The storm builds north of Bismarck, as captured by Capital Electric Cooperative member Amanda Garrett. PHOTO BY AMANDA GARRETT/
CAPITAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MEMBER

 

 

 

tornado
Dust and debris cover stacks of books at the Hovda home in rural Spiritwood that was destroyed by a high-end EF-2 tornado. “I was just waiting for us to all be sucked up. That was my only thought was, ‘These are our last moments together,’” Crystal Hovda told KFYR-TV. PHOTO COURTESY CRYSTAL HOVDA

 

Crysta Hovda
These steps once led to the second floor of the James and Crystal Hovda home in rural Spiritwood. The Hovdas survived the storm by putting their three children in the basement bathtub and using their bodies to barricade the door. PHOTO COURTESY CRYSTAL HOVDA