North Dakota Storms

Summer 2025, crazy storm season!

8/24/20255 min read

I will be the first to admit that I do NOT like storms, especially like the ones we had the spring/summer 2025 in Bismarck. I had finally gotten over my fear of ND weather and how severe prairie storms can be from the comfort of our apartment. Oh, wait...we are in a flippin' RV with threats of LARGE HAIL, WINDS GUSTING TO 80 or 90 MPH, TORNADOS, SEVERE LIGHTENING!!!!

I'm having flashbacks of our house getting hit by lightening when I was in grade school. YIKES!!!!

But, when this guy, with this car are in town, you know there's going to be really bad weather. He was in Bismarck/Mandan 2-3 times and across the state more than that.

Ok, now I'm freaking out!! We put all our dimes and pennies together to start this journey and now something out of our control wants to take it away? Both Scott and I sprung into action, I started calling storage units that could take the RV, then I starting calling parking ramps to check on their ceiling height, hoping we could get in. I had just about given up when Scott called and found a place that would take both the truck and RV. Little did we know we'd use that storage facility more than once this year.

I know you're thinking. Big deal, easy peasy, no problem. Well, for a couple of "greenhorns" to this lifestyle, packing up and moving wasn't just something you did on your 30 minute lunch break. Even though we only traveled down the road about 2 miles, we still had to pack up the rig like we were headed to the Outter Banks, NC! Making sure nothing would break, making sure we turned things off, disconnect and hitched correctly without a checklist that we hadn't yet created.

Forget the rig for a sec, let's talk about packing overnight bags for two people...and our two cats. Cats have food, water, litterbox, their cage AND PERSONALITIES!! Come on cat people, you know what I'm sayin'. Then to find a hotel that takes furry friends? I'm exhausted just thinking about doing this.

The first night in the hotel was the windy storm, sustained at 65-70MPH with gusts up to 85MPH. I have an acquaintance that lost their RV in this storm.

The second storm that produced the first 2 tornado pictures below, for some strange reason we didn't pack it in. We were glued to the weather forecasts, watching and waiting. No wind, no rain...it passed just north of our location. WHEW, a HUGE sign of relief, but by the skin of our teeth. I have NEVER prayed so hard that night. I remember Scott telling me to come outside and look at the clouds, I blindly trusted him, but they were so pretty. Different shades of dark grey and black with different layers of fluffy all dancing and swirling. Scott stepped inside for whatever reason (I mean he just left me there) then I saw it, maybe was it my imagination, the tornado silhouette lit up by lightening. I screamed, shook and cried all at the same time. Scott had to grab me by the shoulders to get me to come back to earth. YIKES!! So, we came in and watched the radar knowing it had passed us by. So, after a bit we went to bed and just dozing off when the WAIL of the tornado sirens went off!!! I flew out of bed (like a cartoon). Hopped in the truck without Shiloh & Mitzy, they bolted under the couch and we were not going to pull them out in a timely fashion. Bolted over to mom's for the rest of the thunderstorm.

This last storm that came thru, we had the truck/rig all tucked into storage and us in a hotel and were anxious to get back and set up once it had passed. We got up to the storage unit only to find MUD!! Mike (my car) sank in it. Needless to say, we were back in the hotel for a second night...and they wouldn't even waive the pet fee. GGRRRR But, Applebee's was VERY good to us, thank you!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, very expensive adventure. But the peace of mind...PRICELESS! Don't even get me started on the "Bismarck Bubble" but, between you and me I'm thankful for this phenomenon.

RV LIFE BABY!!!! I am certain packing up on a travel day will be so much better when we don't have to worry about dying before hitching up!