North Dakota train cars derailed amid tornado warning

Multiple train cars were derailed near a North Dakota town after a suspected tornado struck the area.

An estimated 60 freight rail cars were blown over on Wednesday night just east of Steele, according to Sergeant Paige Swanson, of the Kidder County Sheriff’s Department.

She said she was relieved that the storm did not cause more damage or harm to anyone.

“I am very surprised, because on the other side of the road here, there’s houses and buildings and it just missed them and it just hit the tracks,” she told KX News. “So, thankfully, that’s all that happened.”

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The National Weather Service (NWS) had a tornado warning in place for several counties, including Kidder County, where Steele is located.

Its Bismarck office posted that it was receiving “reports of a large cone tornado near Steele” and people should “take cover” at 7:55 p.m. CDT.

The rail cars are operated by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America. Between 20 and 30 of them were northbound, with the other half southbound.

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BNSF crews were reported at the scene, along with rail workers who made sure the crossing gates were still working safely.

Kidder and Stutsman counties were under a tornado warning until 9:00 p.m. CDT.

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A warning that specifically covered the towns of Steele, Dawson and Tappen until 8:30 p.m. CDT warned of a “life threatening situation” and urged folks to “seek shelter.”

The threats were listed as a damaging tornado and quarter-sized hail, impacting 1,189 people and four schools.

There are still warnings for severe thunderstorms in place for different parts of North Dakota, with a flash flood alert issued for Medina, Streeter, Cleveland and Windsor.

The NWS predicts that excessive runoff may still produce the flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

Drivers were told: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.”

The NWS attributed the thunderstorms to a cold front extending from an area of low pressure in Canada moving eastward.

Forecasters said: “The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms (level 2/5) for Thursday, scattered severe thunderstorms are expected to be organized and there may be embedded supercells that may contain damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes.”

The last few days have seen multiple incidents of extreme weather hit different parts of the U.S.—from heatwaves to snowstorms to flash floods.

While millions across the Midwest struggled with a brutal heatwave, an unusually cold storm swept in from the Gulf of Alaska and hit the West Coast.