BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - It’s been 20 years since a devastating April blizzard struck North Dakota, dumping as much as 2 feet of snow in some areas.
Tuesday marks the anniversary of the 1997 storm that killed about 100,000 cattle, knocked out power to tens of thousands of people and led to massive spring flooding in eastern North Dakota, The Bismarck Tribune (https://bit.ly/2ot7uQV ) reported.
“What made (the ’97 blizzard) significant was everyone was calving,” said rancher Melvin Leland.
Leland’s family decided to build a storm shelter in the pasture after losing eight to 10 calves during the storm.
According to the National Weather Services, April 1997 began with temperatures in the 60s, giving people hope for a warm spring after experiencing 10 blizzards that winter.
“We knew we were supposed to get some bad weather but not to that extent,” said Randy Brousseau, who had gone out in storms previously after joining the ambulance crew in 1997.
But by the afternoon of April 5, 1997 heavy snow was falling across the state, with accumulations on average of 1.5 to 2 inches an hour.
That day, Bowman saw the most snow with 24 inches.
Julie Ellingson is a rancher and executive director of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association from Bismarck, which received 18 inches of snow during the blizzard in 1997. She said her parents have compared the storm to a severe blizzard in 1966.
But she said for her and her generation the 1997 storm “is one that’s hard to beat.”
“It’s 20 years later, and I still feel the wind on my cheeks,” Ellingson said.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, https://www.bismarcktribune.com
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