Harstad: Damage ‘Everywhere’ in Barnes County

Severe storms late Friday night into early Saturday morning left widespread damage across eastern North Dakota, with Barnes County among the hardest-hit areas. Barnes County Extension Agent Alicia Harstad said the sheer scale of the destruction is unlike anything she’s seen before. “Honestly, what’s probably most insane about the storm is just how widespread the damage is. Barnes County, pretty much the whole county, there’s significant damage.”  From a crop perspective, Harstad said small grains may have fared slightly better than row crops, but it’s still too early to know the full extent. “I don’t know if they’ll grow back up, but then there’s some that are pretty shredded,” said Harstad. “It’s a little variable, and for us, it seemed like most of the damage was coming from the straight-line winds.”