On June 20-21, 2025, a strong storm system swept through eastern North Dakota,
leaving a trail of destruction and challenging conditions for both residents and Nodak line crews. 
The storm, which struck late Friday night, resulted in widespread electrical outages affecting
thousands of meters across Nodak Electric Cooperative’s service area.

At its peak, approximately 2,200 members were without power, with damage spanning from Hannaford
to Hillsboro. The storm downed power lines and toppled at least 74 utility poles. The extreme
weather also disrupted service from Minnkota Power Cooperative, causing outages at six substations
feeding the region, adding to the outage impact.

Despite difficult conditions and intermittent rainfall that continued throughout the weekend, Nodak’s
line crews worked tirelessly to restore service. By Saturday night, approximately 550 meters
remained without power, and that number was reduced to 150 by Sunday evening. Full restoration
was achieved by early evening Monday, June 23.

The restoration effort involved nearly 1,800 labor hours and nearly 21,000 miles of driving.
Due to the scale of the damage, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong declared a statewide
disaster, opening the door for FEMA assistance to help recoup some of the restoration expenses.
Nodak Electric Cooperative has already begun preparing the necessary documentation to
support this process.

This storm is a reminder of how quickly weather can change everything and how dedicated
line crews are to restoring power and keeping our communities running, no matter the conditions.