July 19, 2000

Heavy June Rain Damages Crops in Red River Valley of North Dakota.

Overall North Dakota is experiencing a favorable crop year. Crops were planted on-or-ahead of normal schedule. Moisture and temperatures for most of the state have favored emergence and establishment of spring grains and summer crops. Recent growing seasons, have been generally too cool and wet. During 1999 several hundred thousand acres were damaged or left unplanted in North Dakota due to "too wet" conditions.

Starting in August 1999, warmer and dryer weather improved growing conditions. In the Red River Valley and neighboring eastern counties of North Dakota and Minnesota, warm and "drier" Spring 2000 weather favored planting and establishment of spring grains and summer crops. Analysis of Satellite images earlier than June 10, 2000, indicated that crops were in better condition than recent years' from central Grand Forks County, south into South Dakota. However, from northern Grand Forks County, to the Canadian border, crops were hurt by dryness.

During June 11 through June 21, a series of storms dropped very heavy rain across the Red River Valley. Particularly heavy rain fell on Monday, June 19, into Tuesday, June 20. Heavy rains were experienced from Walsh County, south to Cass County (Fargo). Significant flooding occurred at Fargo, closing highways, flooding buildings. Particularly hard hit was the North Dakota State University campus and the Fargodome. More than 10 inches of rain was reported at Fargo's Hector Airport during the 10 day period of June 11 - 20. More than 1 inch of rainfall per hour during the storms was common across Cass County during June 19 and 20. The following precipitation graph for Fargo, shows that rainfall has remained above normal, since June 11.

These precipitation graphs compare the 2000 growing season with 1999 and 1998, and normal, at Fargo and Grand Forks.

Satellite images from before the rains, June 5, 2000 and after the heaviest rains were compared and flooding and areas of crop damage are evident.

The first series is a 100 mile overview of the central Red River Valley, Landsat Scene 030-027. Here we are comparing a Landsat 7 scene from June 5, 2000, with a Landsat 5 scene from June 29, 2000. On these satellite images, water is black, or very dark blue, vegetation is red, orange, or pink shades, and soil is light blue and green shades, clouds are white. From the general darker color and increase in blues and black, the June 29 scene is much wetter, compared to the June 5 scene.

Full resolution sections of the June 5 and June 29 Landsat scenes are linked below to provide more detail. (Sample scenes only- more areas were analyzed to assess North Dakota crop conditions).

Fargo, ND. Landsat 7 - June 5, 2000

Fargo, ND. Landsat 5 - June 29, 2000

Grand Forks, ND. Landsat 7 - June 5, 2000

Grand Forks, ND. Landsat 5 - June 29, 2000

Western Grand Forks Co., ND. Landsat 7 - June 5, 2000

Western Grand Forks Co., ND. Landsat 5 - June 29, 2000

For more information, contact Carl Gernazio with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division, Center for Remote Sensing Analysis at (202) 690-0136.