Following a series of devastating tornados, one railroad found that nine miles of its track were buried in debris. A local neighborhood and large forest were torn apart by the storms, resulting in wreckage on the tracks as high as 20 feet. This debris made it impossible for rail crews to reach a badly damaged trestle bridge on this stretch.

Record snowfalls and spring rains resulted in major flooding throughout North Dakota. Much of the state was declared a disaster area. At the same time, a separate flood event devastated several midwest states.