Balta, ND Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Balta is about the same as North Dakota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Balta is lower than North Dakota average and is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #180
| Balta, ND | 0.00 |
| North Dakota | 0.00 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Balta, ND | 0.0000 |
| North Dakota | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #311
| Balta, ND | 53.64 |
| North Dakota | 81.79 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 1,109 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Balta, ND were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 49 | Cold: | 46 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 4 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 64 | Hail: | 552 | Heat: | 1 | Heavy Snow: | 30 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 5 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 32 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 238 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 59 | Winter Weather: | 2 |
| Other: | 27 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Balta, ND.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Balta, ND.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Balta, ND.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 9 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Balta, ND.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 14.1 | 1973-08-21 | 2 | 48°22'N / 99°59'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pierce | |||
| 19.1 | 1958-05-30 | 3 | 47°56'N / 99°48'W | 48°03'N / 99°38'W | 10.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Benson |
| 26.4 | 2001-08-08 | 2 | 47°59'N / 99°33'W | 47°58'N / 99°32'W | 2.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0 | Benson |
| Brief Description: A grain elevator was heavily damaged and will likely be shut down for the rest of the year. Many trees were uprooted and a camper was overturned. 1.5 miles of powerline was blown down with 24 poles snapped. | |||||||||||
| 33.0 | 2001-08-08 | 2 | 48°00'N / 99°35'W | 47°55'N / 99°12'W | 7.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Benson |
| Brief Description: The tornado began northwest of Maddock and travelled along a path intermittently to near Flora and near Oberon. A 40x60 foot metal shed was demolished. About 2 miles northeast of Maddock, a grain bin was pulled from its foundation and thrown about 500 yards. A hopper bin and concrete pad were also turned on end at this location. Many large trees were flattened all along the path until the tornado weakened from Flora to near Oberon. | |||||||||||
| 33.1 | 1954-07-06 | 2 | 47°42'N / 99°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wells | |
| 33.4 | 1974-05-20 | 2 | 47°56'N / 99°25'W | 47°59'N / 99°21'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benson |
| 36.9 | 1965-05-20 | 2 | 47°38'N / 100°06'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wells | |||
| 47.8 | 1974-06-04 | 2 | 48°44'N / 100°29'W | 48°53'N / 100°22'W | 11.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Bottineau |
| 49.4 | 2008-07-07 | 3 | 48°51'N / 99°55'W | 48°51'N / 99°31'W | 18.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.5M | 0K | Rolette |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: By North Dakota standards this was a long lived tornado that covered many miles. A National Weather Service storm damage survey was completed in Rolette County on July 8, the day following the event. The storm survey concluded that the total path length was 17.6 miles, with a maximum width of 250 yards. The worst damage corresponded to low end EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum estimated winds of 140 mph. Multiple tornado sightings were reported by local officials and residents along Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Highway number eight between 2:50 PM CDT and 3:10 PM CDT. The storm survey concluded that tree and structural damage along this corridor west and northwest of Belcourt corresponded to EF1 and EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, or wind speeds ranging from 90 to 130 mph, with a path width ranging from 50 to 75 yards. Greater damage was surveyed north and northeast of Belcourt. Along BIA Highway number seven, a tornado path width of 250 yards was observed with significant widespread tree damage, corresponding to an EF2 rating or winds of 115 to 130 mph. Northeast of Belcourt along BIA highway number five, a home sustained heavy damage and there was one injury. Here, a rating of EF2 was assigned, with estimated wind speeds up to 135 mph. Storm reports around the immediate Belcourt area indicate a time of approximately 3:15 PM CDT for tornado impact. Seventy structures in total were impacted in the Belcourt area with varying degrees of damage. The tornadic storm continued east hitting the north side of the city of Rolla at approximately 3:30 PM CDT. Twelve homes were destroyed and 18 homes were damaged. The homes with the most significant structural damage corresponded to an EF3 rating. From this it was determined that the maximum wind speeds here were on the order of 140 mph. Two minor injuries were also reported in the Rolla area. The tornado continued east-southeast, hitting a farmstead east of Rolla which sustained structural and tree damage consistent with an EF2 tornado, or winds around 125 mph. The tornado then crossed US Highway 281 before pushing southeast into Towner County (See National Weather Service Grand Forks, North Dakota Storm Data from July 7, 2008). EPISODE NARRATIVE: In the early afternoon hours of Monday, July 7th, isolated thunderstorms developed over southwestern Manitoba, Canada, as a result of an upper level short wave trough tracking east across south central Canada. Maximized low level wind shear along a surface boundary over north central North Dakota, along with low lifted condensation levels, created a favorable environment for low level mesocyclones and the development of isolated tornadoes. The end result was a tornadic supercellular thunderstorm developing near Lake Metigoshe. It tracked east-southeast through northeastern Bottineau County and across northern Rolette County, before exiting into Towner County (Grand Forks, North Dakota County Warning Area) later in the afternoon. A storm survey conducted the following day found tornado damage in the Belcourt and Rolla areas, with the heaviest damage observed on the north side of Rolla. There were injuries from the tornadoes, but there were no deaths. Estimated damage was around one and a half million dollars. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.