Aug. 10—JAMESTOWN — The National Weather Service issued a statement on Saturday, Aug. 9, that straight-line winds caused damage in Jamestown and to a farm north of Courtenay, North Dakota, that occurred during
severe thunderstorms late Thursday, Aug. 7, and early Friday, Aug. 8.
The weather service said wind speeds were up to 100 mph at both locations.
The statement is preliminary, the weather service said, and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data.
The storms struck a large portion of the state on Thursday evening and nearly Friday morning, causing widespread wind damage. The National Weather Service in Bismarck said it conducted a storm survey on Friday to survey two areas of significant damage, at Jamestown and a farm 7 miles north of Courtenay.
The weather service said significant damage, primarily to trees, occurred over the
southern part of Jamestown, with the largest damage generally between Foxtrot Road on the west and 10th Avenue East on the east, resulting in a path length of approximately 2 miles. The width of the greatest damage stretched from near 17th Street on the south end to around 11th Street on the north, about half a mile.
At the start of the greatest damage in the area of Meidinger Park and areas south, a pontoon boat was flipped, a tree was uprooted, multiple smaller trees were either snapped or had significant branches broken off, and a camper was pushed off its blocks, the weather service reported.
Near the intersection of 14th Avenue and 17th Street Southwest, a manufactured home had its roofing material uplifted and larger spruce trees were uprooted. East of the intersection of U.S. Highway 52/281 and 17th Street Southwest on top of Mill Hill, multiple trees were uprooted. Further east along 17th Street Southeast, the metal roof panels blew off the east side of a building. At McElroy Park and areas surrounding, many trees were uprooted, with some smaller to medium-size trees snapped.
Near the intersection of 14th Street and 8th Avenue Southeast, roofing panels were blown off a building, reported by The Jamestown Sun as an apartment building at 713 14th St. SE.
At the farmstead surveyed north of Courtenay, the National Weather Service said significant damage occurred to buildings and grain handling equipment. The weather service reported two newer pole-barn buildings had a significant portion of them destroyed with collapsed walls and roofs. Another large building had multiple roof panels blown off. Multiple grain bins were damaged, one with significant damage to its roofing structure. A large grain dryer was toppled when the grain leg system collapsed.