USA.com / North Dakota / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
North Dakota Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot North Dakota Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in North Dakota is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in North Dakota is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #51
| 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, #14
| 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, #33
| 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 11,703 other weather extremes events from 1950 to 2010 were recorded in North Dakota. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 118 | Cold: | 127 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 6 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 750 | Hail: | 6,215 | Heat: | 6 | Heavy Snow: | 155 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 13 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 208 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 3,539 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 14 | Winter Storm: | 142 | Winter Weather: | 25 |
| Other: | 385 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near North Dakota.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in North Dakota.
| Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 1968-07-08 | 4.4 | N/A | 46.5 | -100.6 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 177 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in North Dakota.
| Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County | |
| 1953-05-29 | 5 | 46°27'N / 100°40'W | 46°33'N / 100°35'W | 7.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 2 | 20 | 250K | 0 | Morton | |
| 1953-05-29 | 5 | 46°33'N / 100°35'W | 46°38'N / 100°28'W | 7.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Emmons | |
| 1957-06-20 | 5 | 46°54'N / 97°21'W | 46°53'N / 96°46'W | 27.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 10 | 103 | 25.0M | 0 | Cass | |
| 1952-07-01 | 4 | 47°03'N / 100°30'W | 47°09'N / 100°06'W | 19.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 25 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| 1952-07-01 | 4 | 47°09'N / 100°06'W | 47°12'N / 99°30'W | 28.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| 1955-07-02 | 4 | 46°30'N / 97°00'W | 46°30'N / 96°48'W | 9.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 19 | 250K | 0 | Richland | |
| 1955-07-05 | 4 | 48°26'N / 102°20'W | 48°44'N / 101°55'W | 28.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mountrail | |
| 1975-06-29 | 4 | 46°32'N / 102°58'W | 46°22'N / 102°02'W | 45.80 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Hettinger | |
| 1975-06-29 | 4 | 46°22'N / 102°02'W | 46°20'N / 101°34'W | 22.20 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Grant | |
| 1978-07-04 | 4 | 46°24'N / 101°53'W | 46°24'N / 101°20'W | 26.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 5 | 35 | 2.5M | 0 | Grant | |
| 1999-06-06 | 4 | 48°36'N / 97°47'W | 48°41'N / 97°51'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Pembina | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down southeast of Mountain, where it damaged several farmsteads. One farm home was completely lifted up and tossed 100 yards. A combine was also picked up and thrown several hundred feet. A swather was picked up and wrapped around several trees. In the town of Mountain, numerous trees were knocked flat. 2 mobile homes were destroyed, the roof was torn off a house, and a garage was destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 2002-08-11 | 4 | 46°57'N / 99°18'W | 46°58'N / 99°18'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 650K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| Brief Description: The tornado formed 5 miles north of Medina, over open country, traveling slowly to the north...northeast. One farmstead was totally destroyed and the second farmstead suffered moderate damage. No injuries were reported but a family pet was killed. Other damage reported was a 9 ton grain truck moved 250 feet and destroyed, three other vehicles moved 150 to 250 feet and heavily damaged, and a farm tractor picked up and laid on top a farm pickup truck. Also destroyed were 5 transmission towers with a cost replacement of $200 thousand. The tornado was rated by National Weather Service Storm Survey Team. | |||||||||||
| 2004-07-18 | 4 | 46°47'N / 98°23'W | 46°36'N / 98°23'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.7M | 100K | Barnes | |
| Brief Description: The tornado tracked south for about 4 miles along 97th avenue southeast, then turned to the southeast and tracked about 6 more miles before it crossed into LaMoure county about 2 miles north-northwest of Marion. One abandoned farmstead 10 miles west-northwest of Litchville was nearly swept clean of its buildings. Eight to nine buildings and 5 to 6 metal grain bins were swept away. At an occupied farmstead about 9 miles west of Litchville, the most damage was reported. The family was out baling hay at the time and were not hurt. The equipment they used to bale hay (three tractors and a baler) were the only things left unscathed by the tornado. Two houses, 5 outbuildings, a cattle barn, and miscellaneous farm equipment were all leveled. Machinery and debris were scattered across the yard and in the nearby pond and fields. A new pickup truck was demolished and sheet metal and metal support beams were wrapped around trees and vehicles. About 35 cows were killed, 20 grain bins were demolished, and a semi truck was overturned. The last F4 tornado in eastern North Dakota occurred on June 6, 1999, near Mountain, ND. | |||||||||||
| 2007-08-26 | 4 | 47°43'N / 97°36'W | 47°44'N / 97°31'W | 5.00 Miles | 1400 Yards | 1 | 18 | 50.0M | 2.0M | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down about 2 miles west-southwest of Northwood. The tornado crossed the Goose River about a mile west-southwest of the Northwood airport and left a 200 yard wide stretch of downed trees in its wake. By the time it hit the airport, the ground track was one-third of a mile wide and growing wider. At this point the tornado was still visible outside the increasingly heavy rain. The tornado reached an incredible width of eight-tenths of a mile as it pushed through Northwood to the east-northeast. At this point it had multiple vortices embedded in the overall wedge shaped tornado. The strongest of these vortices appears to have scoured the ground and left broad circulation patterns of debris in the overall damage and debris field. Around this time the tornado likely became wrapped in heavy rain and would have been difficult to observe from a distance. The most extreme damage appeared to be in the northeast corner of the community. Northwood, in southwest Grand Forks County, had a population of about 1000 people. 90 percent of the roughly 460 homes were damaged. One death occurred in a mobile home, with 18 other injuries reported. The death occurred in a trailer park on the north edge of town, where 19 total units were demolished. Just to the east of the trailer park, in the area that sustained the extreme damage, three businesses were hit particularly hard. An agricultural company, the towns largest employer, had its buildings heavily damaged. A nearby construction company lost two large steel buildings and other equipment. Steel beams from the two steel buildings were twisted and tossed nearby. Finally, a car dealership lost 15 to 20 vehicles from its parking lot along highway 15. Many of these vehicles were damaged beyond recognition and tossed into nearby fields. One corn field to the north of highway 15 (across from the 3 businesses on the northeast side of town) had it stalks snapped off several inches from the root bases, with pieces of husked corn laying around. Hangers and airplanes were also damaged at the airport. The local health center, school, supermarket, and grain elevator were damaged. Near the elevator, several rail cars were knocked off the tracks. Hundreds of trees were snapped, uprooted, or damaged. Power was also knocked out to many customers, but eventually was turned off (for safety reasons) to the entire town. A total of about 2600 truckloads of debris were hauled to the town landfill. In the days following the tornado, a Presidential Disaster Declaration was granted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front moved across North Dakota on the 26th, with a hot and humid airmass in place ahead of the front. At 6 pm CST, a surface low was located over southern Manitoba (Canada), just north of Pembina, ND. The cold front stretched to the southwest, back toward Devils Lake (ND) and Bismarck (ND). Ahead of the cold front, temperatures ranged in the low to mid 80s with dew points around 70F. Behind the front, temperatures did not cool significantly, but dew points dropped to the mid 40s. Thunderstorms began to form along and ahead of the cold front by early evening (from northeast ND into south central ND), eventually crossing into northwest Minnesota several hours later. Eight distinct tornadoes occurred over northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota during this event. | |||||||||||
| 2010-06-17 | 4 | 47°40'N / 97°19'W | 47°46'N / 97°19'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado began in Traill County about 3 miles north-northeast of Mayville at 349 PM CDT. The tornado crossed into Grand Forks County and tracked for an additional 8 miles to about 10 miles west of Thompson. The total track length was roughly 17 miles. One well constructed house near Holmes was completely swept from its foundation and destroyed along with several other farm buildings. Peak winds were estimated at 185 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 2010-06-17 | 4 | 47°32'N / 97°18'W | 47°40'N / 97°19'W | 9.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0K | Traill | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado tracked northward for nearly 9 miles to about 12 miles north of Mayville by 405 PM CDT and crossed into Grand Forks County. It then continued for another 8 miles to around 10 miles west of Thompson by 418 PM CDT, for a total track length of nearly 17 miles. Trees in shelterbelts and farmsteads were snapped, uprooted, or sheared off. One well constructed house near Holmes was completely swept from its foundation and destroyed. Peak winds were estimated at 185 mph. A farm shop about five and one-half miles north of Mayville was hit by the tornado, destroying the shop. A man inside survived with cuts on his hand. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 2010-08-07 | 4 | 46°06'N / 96°37'W | 46°06'N / 96°33'W | 3.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Richland | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down south of Tyler and tracked to the east for roughly 2.5 miles before crossing the Bois de Sioux River into Wilkin County, Minnesota. In Wilkin County, the tornado continued for another 2.5 miles and lifted about 650 pm CDT. The total track length was about 5 miles and peak winds were estimated at 175 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: By late in the day on the 7th, an east-west lying warm front had set up just north of the South Dakota border, extending eastward into west central Minnesota. South of the warm front, temperatures were in the mid to upper 80s with dew points in the lower 70s. Thunderstorms formed along and north of the warm front and several produced tornadoes. | |||||||||||
| 1950-06-13 | 3 | 46°48'N / 97°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | ||
| 1950-06-14 | 3 | 48°55'N / 103°46'W | 48°47'N / 103°17'W | 23.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Divide | |
| 1952-06-15 | 3 | 47°24'N / 99°33'W | 1.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Wells | ||
| 1952-07-01 | 3 | 46°04'N / 96°57'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1952-07-19 | 3 | 47°00'N / 104°03'W | 47°01'N / 103°53'W | 7.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Golden Valley | |
| 1955-07-01 | 3 | 46°23'N / 100°18'W | 46°25'N / 100°15'W | 1.30 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons | |
| 1956-06-05 | 3 | 47°35'N / 101°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mclean | ||||
| 1956-06-18 | 3 | 47°18'N / 101°48'W | 47°19'N / 101°34'W | 10.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mercer | |
| 1956-08-30 | 3 | 46°54'N / 96°48'W | 46°59'N / 96°47'W | 5.10 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1957-07-16 | 3 | 47°15'N / 98°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Griggs | ||||
| 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 | |
| 1958-08-11 | 3 | 47°54'N / 97°12'W | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grand Forks | ||||
| 1958-09-06 | 3 | 46°54'N / 98°00'W | 2.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Barnes | ||
| 1964-05-05 | 3 | 46°03'N / 96°36'W | 46°08'N / 96°34'W | 5.20 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 11 | 0K | 0 | Richland | |
| 1966-05-22 | 3 | 46°30'N / 99°18'W | 46°40'N / 99°04'W | 15.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Logan | |
| 1966-07-31 | 3 | 46°00'N / 99°28'W | 46°00'N / 99°25'W | 1.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mcintosh | |
| 1968-08-23 | 3 | 47°08'N / 98°28'W | 47°09'N / 98°28'W | 1.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Barnes | |
| 1968-08-23 | 3 | 47°09'N / 98°28'W | 47°14'N / 98°35'W | 7.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| 1971-06-21 | 3 | 47°31'N / 97°56'W | 47°22'N / 97°44'W | 13.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Steele | |
| 1973-06-15 | 3 | 46°52'N / 97°15'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | ||||
| 1973-06-16 | 3 | 47°22'N / 97°04'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | ||||
| 1973-07-01 | 3 | 46°02'N / 97°47'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sargent | ||||
| 1973-07-01 | 3 | 46°07'N / 97°10'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland | ||||
| 1974-05-20 | 3 | 46°32'N / 98°28'W | 46°41'N / 98°10'W | 17.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | La Moure | |
| 1974-07-11 | 3 | 48°20'N / 102°51'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Williams | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 3 | 46°17'N / 99°21'W | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Logan | ||||
| 1978-05-25 | 3 | 46°50'N / 100°54'W | 2.50 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morton | ||
| 1981-07-30 | 3 | 46°44'N / 101°08'W | 46°40'N / 100°42'W | 20.90 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Morton | |
| 1981-07-30 | 3 | 46°40'N / 100°42'W | 46°39'N / 100°37'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| 1986-06-26 | 3 | 48°56'N / 100°36'W | 48°47'N / 100°30'W | 8.00 Miles | 2000 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Bottineau | |
| 1987-07-21 | 3 | 47°38'N / 98°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Griggs | ||
| 2001-07-18 | 3 | 47°41'N / 98°27'W | 47°43'N / 98°19'W | 5.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Nelson | |
| Brief Description: A tornado hit the home of the Nelson county sheriff, who was out of town at the time. The tornado tore the roof off the house and destroyed the barn. A piece of farm machinery was thrown through the bedroom wall and a tractor was hurled 75 yards. The sheriff's squad car was crushed. | |||||||||||
| 2007-08-26 | 3 | 47°45'N / 97°55'W | 47°49'N / 97°53'W | 5.00 Miles | 580 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Nelson | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado continued into western Grand Forks County, where it dissipated 3 miles west-northwest of Logan Center at 716 pm CST. The total tornado track was about 6 miles long, with about 5 miles of this total occurring in Nelson County. The tornado destroyed a garage and farm outbuildings at 3 farmsteads. It killed 5 buffalo and completely dismantled a swathing combine. Trees were also snapped off or uprooted along the damage path and several empty metal grain bins were torn from their anchors and demolished. Gravel roads were deeply scarred by debris. Peak winds were estimated at 150 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front moved across North Dakota on the 26th, with a hot and humid airmass in place ahead of the front. At 6 pm CST, a surface low was located over southern Manitoba (Canada), just north of Pembina, ND. The cold front stretched to the southwest, back toward Devils Lake (ND) and Bismarck (ND). Ahead of the cold front, temperatures ranged in the low to mid 80s with dew points around 70F. Behind the front, temperatures did not cool significantly, but dew points dropped to the mid 40s. Thunderstorms began to form along and ahead of the cold front by early evening (from northeast ND into south central ND), eventually crossing into northwest Minnesota several hours later. Eight distinct tornadoes occurred over northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota during this event. | |||||||||||
| 2007-08-26 | 3 | 47°49'N / 97°52'W | 47°50'N / 97°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 580 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado began about 6 miles north-northeast of Aneta in eastern Nelson County at 704 pm CST. The total tornado track was about 6 miles, with about 1 mile of it occurring in Grand Forks County. The tornado lofted and destroyed a second combine in Grand Forks County before it lifted. Peak winds were estimated at 150 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front moved across North Dakota on the 26th, with a hot and humid airmass in place ahead of the front. At 6 pm CST, a surface low was located over southern Manitoba (Canada), just north of Pembina, ND. The cold front stretched to the southwest, back toward Devils Lake (ND) and Bismarck (ND). Ahead of the cold front, temperatures ranged in the low to mid 80s with dew points around 70F. Behind the front, temperatures did not cool significantly, but dew points dropped to the mid 40s. Thunderstorms began to form along and ahead of the cold front by early evening (from northeast ND into south central ND), eventually crossing into northwest Minnesota several hours later. Eight distinct tornadoes occurred over northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota during this event. | |||||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 2008-07-07 | 3 | 48°51'N / 99°31'W | 48°50'N / 99°27'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5K | 5K | Towner | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado originated in Rolette County, where it produced EF3 damage near Rolla. It continued into Towner County for about 3 more miles and lifted about 11 miles west-northwest of Rock Lake. It produced mainly EF1 damage to scattered trees and fields in Towner County. Peak winds in Towner County were estimated at 90 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An area of low pressure moved along the Canadian border on Monday (7th) and developed several severe thunderstorms. A triple point, or the intersection of multiple boundaries, formed in north central North Dakota, and resulted in several tornado reports. | |||||||||||
| 2009-07-08 | 3 | 46°51'N / 102°49'W | 46°51'N / 102°46'W | 2.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 2 | 20.0M | 0K | Stark | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Meteorologists from the National Weather Service conducted a storm damage survey in and around Dickinson on Thursday, July 9th, 2009. Meteorologists walked through the area and spoke with numerous people affected, many of whom were eye witnesses to the event. This tornado passed through the city of Dickinson on the far south side, mainly just south of the Heart River. No witnesses spoken to actually saw the tornado. From their eye witness accounts, and from video obtained by the Dickinson Police Department, it is likely that this was a rain-wrapped tornado, and very difficult if not impossible to see. The tornado occurred before sunset, yet it was described as being as dark as night during the event. The conclusion of the damage survey was that this tornado touched down around a mile or so outside the city limits, on the southwest side, and moved east-northeast, passing through the far southern part of the city. It lifted back into the parent thunderstorm on the extreme southeast side of Dickinson near the city limit. This occurred in the window between 815 PM MDT and 830 PM MDT. Over 450 structures were damaged, of which nearly 100 were declared completely destroyed or beyond repair. Numerous vehicles were damaged or destroyed, some were on their roofs. Power lines were snapped, knocking out power to most of Dickinson, and tree damage was extensive. Two minor injuries were reported, with no deaths. The injuries were to a 23 year old male and a 42 year old male. Both occurred in homes. The worst damage surveyed was between the Heart River and roughly 8th Street Southwest and 8th Street Southeast in southern Dickinson. Of that damage, the absolute worst corresponded to middle EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale. From that it was determined that peak wind speeds in the tornado were on the order of 150 mph. Other parts of Dickinson and the surrounding area sustained wind damage likely associated with the rear flank downdraft of the storm. EPISODE NARRATIVE: In the mid afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 8th, Tornado Watch 563 was issued for all of western and parts of central North Dakota, due to the expected widespread and dangerous development and rapid intensification of thunderstorms near a surface trough along the western North Dakota border. Destabilization along the surface trough, coupled with the approach of a strong upper level trough and an intensifying late afternoon/early evening low level jet, all contributed to the watch issuance. Later Wednesday evening, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 565 was issued for much of central North Dakota to replace the expiring Tornado Watch, and specifically to account for a developing bow echo which was expected to push east across the watch area into the early morning hours of Thursday, July 9th. The end result was a large severe weather outbreak experienced across much of west and central North Dakota, lasting from the late afternoon hours of the 8th, into the early morning hours of the 9th. Multiple severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued. Numerous reports of large hail and severe thunderstorm wind gusts were received throughout this event. Several tornadoes occurred, including an EF3 within city limits on the south side of Dickinson. That tornado alone resulted in over twenty million dollars in damage. | |||||||||||
| 2010-08-12 | 3 | 48°48'N / 102°11'W | 48°48'N / 102°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 700K | 150K | Burke | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado crossed from Burke County into Ward County. Note that for roughly three miles in the vicinity of the Des Lacs River, U.S. Highway 52 runs right on the Burke and Ward County line. The tornado was right on the highway in this area. This was the location of the worst damage with this tornado. Farm property on the north side of the highway, Burke County, and on the south side of the highway, Ward County, was impacted. One fatality and one injury occurred here, in a single automobile travelling along the highway, on the county line. The vehicle came to rest in a field, nearly 200 yards off the highway, on the south side of the highway, on the east side of the river, in Ward County. See the EF3 tornado entry for Ward County from August 12. This third tornado touched down just northeast of Bowbells, Burke County, and tracked east-southeast along U.S. Highway 52, and into Ward County where it dissipated. This EF3 tornado was spawned from the same supercell thunderstorm that earlier produced two brief and weak tornadoes in Burke County. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service conducted a storm damage survey on Friday, August 13, 2010. Meteorologists walked through the area and spoke with numerous people affected, some of whom were eye witnesses to the event. Significant damage occurred nearly six miles east of Bowbells, near the Des Lacs River, where U.S. Highway 52 is on the Burke and Ward County line. Three farms were impacted. The worst damage was on the Burke County side of the highway and west side of the river, where a farm home (DI 2, DOD 8) and six outbuildings were destroyed. Nineteen of 21 grain bins were also damaged or destroyed. In addition, a fifty foot air seeder connected to a cultivator, with a combined estimated weight near 60,000 pounds, was moved approximately 100 yards. Based on a lack of scratch marks in the ground it was determined that this equipment was picked up and carried through the air. A second farm, on the Ward County side of the highway, had trees in shelter belts snapped and uprooted and the chimney on the house damaged. A third house, this one on the east side of the river and the Ward County side of the highway, also had significant damage. Here, one camper was thrown into the river on the south side of the Highway 52 bridge that crosses the river, while another camper was thrown into the river and landed on the north side of the bridge, back into Burke County. The house had damage to siding and shingles. Of all the damage surveyed the absolute worst corresponded to a high EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale. From that it was determined that peak wind speeds in the tornado were on the order of 165 mph. One fatality and one injury occurred in an automobile in this same immediate area. A car with two occupants travelling east along U.S. Highway 52 was picked up and carried over the Des Lacs River, and came to rest 200 yards off the highway, in a field east of the river, and on the Ward County side of the highway. The driver of the vehicle was injured and the passenger was killed. See the other two tornado entries for Burke County, and the EF3 tornado entry for Ward County from August 12 as this tornado crossed into Ward County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant severe weather event evolved during the evening hours of Thursday, August 12th, and continued into the early morning hours of Friday, August 13th. Southwest flow aloft was in place across the Northern Plains region, ahead of an upper level trough over the Northern Rockies. A potent upper level impulse ejecting from the base of the trough provided the trigger for two areas of strong to severe convection. The first area was near a stationary boundary across southern North Dakota, where intense thunderstorm winds of 80 to near 100 mph were observed. The second area was ahead of a cold front over north central North Dakota, where an isolated tornadic supercell developed and spawned an EF3 tornado near Bowbells. Well into this event, Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 605 was issued across southwest and south central North Dakota in anticipation of a Mesoscale Convective System over southwest North Dakota tracking eastward along the South Dakota border area. By the time of the watch issuance, the tornadic supercell over north central North Dakota had dissipated. Multiple severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued. Several reports of large hail, numerous reports of strong thunderstorm winds, and one confirmed EF3 tornado was received during this episode. The EF3 tornado tragically claimed one fatality. An automobile traveling east on Highway 52 was picked up and carried several hundred yards before being thrown into a field. Another person in the car was injured. In addition, a farmstead sustained heavy damage from the tornado, with severe damage observed to the home and several outbuildings. | |||||||||||
| 2010-08-12 | 3 | 48°48'N / 102°07'W | 48°48'N / 102°04'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 1 | 500K | 100K | Ward | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado crossed from Burke County into Ward County. Note that for roughly three miles in the vicinity of the Des Lacs River, U.S. Highway 52 runs right on the Burke and Ward County line. The tornado was right on the highway in this area. This was the location of the worst damage with this tornado. Farm property on the north side of the highway, Burke County, and on the south side of the highway, Ward County, was impacted. One fatality and one injury occurred here, in a single automobile travelling along the highway, on the county line. The vehicle came to rest in a field, nearly 200 yards off the highway, on the south side of the highway, on the east side of the river, in Ward County. See the EF3 tornado entry for Burke County from August 12. This third tornado touched down just northeast of Bowbells, Burke County, and tracked east-southeast along U.S. Highway 52, and into Ward County where it dissipated. This EF3 tornado was spawned from the same supercell thunderstorm that earlier produced two brief and weak tornadoes in Burke County. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service conducted a storm damage survey on Friday, August 13, 2010. Meteorologists walked through the area and spoke with numerous people affected, some of whom were eye witnesses to the event. Significant damage occurred nearly six miles east of Bowbells, near the Des Lacs River, where U.S. Highway 52 is on the Burke and Ward County line. Three farms were impacted. The worst damage was on the Burke County side of the highway and west side of the river, where a farm home (DI 2, DOD 8) and six outbuildings were destroyed. Nineteen of 21 grain bins were also damaged or destroyed. In addition, a fifty foot air seeder connected to a cultivator, with a combined estimated weight near 60,000 pounds, was moved approximately 100 yards. Based on a lack of scratch marks in the ground it was determined that this equipment was picked up and carried through the air. A second farm, on the Ward County side of the highway, had trees in shelter belts snapped and uprooted and the chimney on the house damaged. A third house, this one on the east side of the river and the Ward County side of the highway, also had significant damage. Here, one camper was thrown into the river on the south side of the Highway 52 bridge that crosses the river, while another camper was thrown into the river and landed on the north side of the bridge, back into Burke County. The house had damage to siding and shingles. Of all the damage surveyed the absolute worst corresponded to a high EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale. From that it was determined that peak wind speeds in the tornado were on the order of 165 mph. One fatality and one injury occurred in an automobile in this same immediate area. A car with two occupants travelling east along U.S. Highway 52 was picked up and carried over the Des Lacs River, and came to rest 200 yards off the highway, in a field east of the river, and on the Ward County side of the highway. The driver of the vehicle was injured and the passenger was killed. See the other three tornado entries for Burke County from this event on August 12. This tornado crossed into Ward County from Burke. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A significant severe weather event evolved during the evening hours of Thursday, August 12th, and continued into the early morning hours of Friday, August 13th. Southwest flow aloft was in place across the Northern Plains region, ahead of an upper level trough over the Northern Rockies. A potent upper level impulse ejecting from the base of the trough provided the trigger for two areas of strong to severe convection. The first area was near a stationary boundary across southern North Dakota, where intense thunderstorm winds of 80 to near 100 mph were observed. The second area was ahead of a cold front over north central North Dakota, where an isolated tornadic supercell developed and spawned an EF3 tornado near Bowbells. Well into this event, Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 605 was issued across southwest and south central North Dakota in anticipation of a Mesoscale Convective System over southwest North Dakota tracking eastward along the South Dakota border area. By the time of the watch issuance, the tornadic supercell over north central North Dakota had dissipated. Multiple severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued. Several reports of large hail, numerous reports of strong thunderstorm winds, and one confirmed EF3 tornado was received during this episode. The EF3 tornado tragically claimed one fatality. An automobile traveling east on Highway 52 was picked up and carried several hundred yards before being thrown into a field. Another person in the car was injured. In addition, a farmstead sustained heavy damage from the tornado, with severe damage observed to the home and several outbuildings. | |||||||||||
| 1952-06-10 | 2 | 46°47'N / 103°01'W | 46°47'N / 102°48'W | 10.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stark | |
| 1952-07-01 | 2 | 47°49'N / 103°33'W | 47°48'N / 103°20'W | 9.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mckenzie | |
| 1952-07-09 | 2 | 47°55'N / 97°10'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Grand Forks | ||||
| 1952-07-24 | 2 | 47°00'N / 98°40'W | 47°00'N / 98°30'W | 7.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| 1953-05-29 | 2 | 46°12'N / 97°08'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Richland | ||||
| 1953-05-29 | 2 | 47°09'N / 96°56'W | 47°12'N / 96°52'W | 3.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1953-05-30 | 2 | 46°40'N / 98°41'W | 46°42'N / 98°34'W | 5.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| 1953-06-13 | 2 | 48°10'N / 103°23'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Williams | ||||
| 1953-06-27 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°05'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Traill | ||||
| 1954-06-13 | 2 | 47°55'N / 101°40'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ward | ||||
| 1954-07-06 | 2 | 47°42'N / 99°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wells | ||
| 1955-06-30 | 2 | 48°05'N / 97°10'W | 48°08'N / 97°06'W | 4.10 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Grand Forks | |
| 1955-08-03 | 2 | 47°20'N / 101°00'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mclean | ||||
| 1955-08-03 | 2 | 47°00'N / 98°00'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Barnes | ||
| 1956-06-17 | 2 | 47°00'N / 100°45'W | 47°08'N / 99°59'W | 37.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| 1957-04-22 | 2 | 46°44'N / 103°12'W | 0.50 Mile | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Stark | ||
| 1957-06-20 | 2 | 46°06'N / 98°06'W | 2.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickey | ||
| 1957-07-16 | 2 | 47°10'N / 100°17'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Burleigh | ||||
| 1957-08-12 | 2 | 46°24'N / 97°48'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ransom | ||
| 1958-06-30 | 2 | 48°00'N / 102°06'W | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Mountrail | ||||
| 1958-07-13 | 2 | 46°06'N / 97°42'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sargent | ||||
| 1959-06-06 | 2 | 48°42'N / 98°30'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cavalier | ||||
| 1959-06-10 | 2 | 46°54'N / 97°12'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | ||||
| 1959-08-24 | 2 | 46°42'N / 99°18'W | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Stutsman | ||||
| 1959-08-25 | 2 | 46°30'N / 100°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Emmons | ||
| 1960-05-31 | 2 | 46°52'N / 96°54'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cass | ||||
| 1960-07-10 | 2 | 47°00'N / 97°12'W | 46°54'N / 97°12'W | 6.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1960-08-02 | 2 | 46°54'N / 99°18'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Stutsman | ||||
| 1960-08-02 | 2 | 46°18'N / 98°42'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Dickey | ||||
| 1960-08-02 | 2 | 48°18'N / 101°18'W | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Ward | ||||
| 1960-08-25 | 2 | 46°18'N / 97°00'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | ||||
| 1962-06-14 | 2 | 48°18'N / 102°30'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mountrail | ||||
| 1962-07-06 | 2 | 46°01'N / 99°03'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mcintosh | ||||
| 1962-07-06 | 2 | 46°02'N / 99°04'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Mcintosh | ||||
| 1964-05-05 | 2 | 46°01'N / 100°02'W | 46°36'N / 99°30'W | 47.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Emmons | |
| 1964-06-08 | 2 | 46°16'N / 97°08'W | 46°39'N / 97°01'W | 26.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland | |
| 1964-08-29 | 2 | 46°24'N / 102°12'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Hettinger | ||||
| 1965-05-05 | 2 | 46°42'N / 97°12'W | 46°47'N / 97°12'W | 5.70 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1965-05-05 | 2 | 46°47'N / 97°12'W | 46°53'N / 97°19'W | 8.50 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1965-05-05 | 2 | 46°53'N / 97°19'W | 47°00'N / 96°56'W | 19.60 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | |
| 1965-05-20 | 2 | 47°38'N / 100°06'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wells | ||||
| 1965-05-20 | 2 | 48°54'N / 99°36'W | 48°51'N / 99°31'W | 4.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Rolette | |
| 1965-06-26 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°00'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | ||
| 1965-06-26 | 2 | 47°00'N / 98°00'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Barnes | ||||
| 1965-09-04 | 2 | 47°10'N / 98°00'W | 0.50 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Barnes | ||
| 1966-07-31 | 2 | 46°00'N / 98°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dickey | ||||
| 1966-08-05 | 2 | 48°06'N / 98°54'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Ramsey | ||||
| 1969-08-05 | 2 | 49°00'N / 102°18'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Burke | ||
| 1970-08-29 | 2 | 46°24'N / 97°53'W | 46°26'N / 97°40'W | 10.30 Miles | 10 Yards | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Ransom | |
| 1971-06-04 | 2 | 46°50'N / 101°46'W | 0.50 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Morton | ||
| 1971-06-21 | 2 | 48°40'N / 98°52'W | 48°32'N / 98°50'W | 8.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cavalier | |
| 1971-06-21 | 2 | 48°16'N / 98°31'W | 0.10 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Ramsey | ||
| 1971-06-21 | 2 | 47°30'N / 98°01'W | 47°25'N / 97°46'W | 12.70 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Griggs | |
| 1972-06-12 | 2 | 48°56'N / 100°21'W | 2.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Bottineau | ||
| 1972-07-29 | 2 | 47°34'N / 98°47'W | 47°36'N / 98°44'W | 2.30 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Foster | |
| 1973-08-21 | 2 | 48°22'N / 99°59'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pierce | ||||
| 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 | |
| 1974-05-26 | 2 | 46°29'N / 100°08'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons | ||
| 1974-06-04 | 2 | 48°15'N / 101°34'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Ward | ||
| 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 | |
| 1974-07-11 | 2 | 47°41'N / 99°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Eddy | ||||
| 1974-07-20 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°19'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | ||||
| 1974-08-14 | 2 | 47°09'N / 98°34'W | 47°14'N / 98°21'W | 11.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| 1974-08-14 | 2 | 47°11'N / 98°10'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Barnes | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°30'N / 100°05'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Emmons | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°35'N / 99°46'W | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Logan | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°18'N / 98°56'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ward | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°22'N / 99°06'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Logan | ||||
| 1974-08-19 | 2 | 46°22'N / 98°44'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | La Moure | ||||
| 1975-05-24 | 2 | 47°16'N / 101°47'W | 47°32'N / 101°26'W | 24.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mercer | |
| 1975-05-24 | 2 | 47°32'N / 101°26'W | 47°40'N / 101°23'W | 9.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Mclean | |
| 1975-06-19 | 2 | 46°14'N / 97°39'W | 0.30 Mile | 7 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sargent | ||
| 1976-06-04 | 2 | 46°55'N / 103°12'W | 47°00'N / 103°12'W | 5.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stark | |
| 1976-06-05 | 2 | 48°24'N / 102°58'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Williams | ||
| 1976-06-11 | 2 | 46°38'N / 98°41'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stutsman | ||||
| 1976-06-12 | 2 | 47°22'N / 97°48'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Steele | ||||
| 1976-06-12 | 2 | 48°05'N / 98°50'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Ramsey | ||||
| 1976-08-19 | 2 | 46°47'N / 97°21'W | 0.30 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | ||
| 1977-06-14 | 2 | 46°15'N / 103°53'W | 46°12'N / 103°43'W | 8.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Bowman | |
| 1978-05-26 | 2 | 47°04'N / 102°40'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dunn | ||
| 1978-05-26 | 2 | 48°55'N / 97°03'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Grand Forks | ||
| 1982-04-15 | 2 | 46°17'N / 97°44'W | 46°23'N / 97°37'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ransom | |
| 1982-06-06 | 2 | 48°10'N / 101°06'W | 48°10'N / 101°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ward | |
| 1982-06-06 | 2 | 48°10'N / 101°03'W | 48°12'N / 100°52'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mchenry | |
| 1982-06-27 | 2 | 48°09'N / 103°51'W | 0.40 Mile | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Williams | ||
| 1982-07-04 | 2 | 46°39'N / 99°30'W | 46°41'N / 99°22'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| 1985-05-30 | 2 | 47°12'N / 100°17'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Burleigh | ||
| 1985-06-24 | 2 | 48°47'N / 98°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cavalier | ||
| 1986-06-15 | 2 | 47°19'N / 98°14'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Griggs | ||
| 1986-06-15 | 2 | 47°16'N / 98°08'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Griggs | ||
| 1990-06-18 | 2 | 47°07'N / 101°35'W | 47°07'N / 101°26'W | 6.00 Miles | 93 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Oliver | |
| 1997-07-23 | 2 | 48°30'N / 101°42'W | 48°30'N / 101°42'W | 0.20 Mile | 30 Yards | 1 | 2 | 46K | 0 | Renville | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down 12 miles south of Greene or 7 N of Carpio. The tornado touched down directly on a farmhouse. The house was blown off of the foundation, then blown apart. A 70 yr. old man was blown out of the house, while a 1 month old infant was trapped in the debris. A 73 yr old woman was also trapped under the debris. She was alive when found but passed away at the hospital from her injuries. F73OU | |||||||||||
| 1999-06-03 | 2 | 46°50'N / 99°54'W | 46°51'N / 99°50'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 400K | 0 | Kidder | |
| 1999-06-06 | 2 | 48°16'N / 98°00'W | 48°21'N / 97°58'W | 3.00 Miles | 130 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15K | 0 | Walsh | |
| Brief Description: Several large trees were snapped off and light poles were bent over. Several metal grain bins were blown off their concrete foundations and thrown 200 feet. An old shed was also tossed 150 feet. | |||||||||||
| 1999-06-06 | 2 | 48°13'N / 98°04'W | 48°14'N / 98°04'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Walsh | |
| Brief Description: A 54x108 foot building and a shed were destroyed by the tornado. One tractor inside was moved and the building doors were wrapped around the cab. Shingles from the barn were impaled in the swather. Some of the farm equipment was overturned and some boards were driven into the ground. Debris was picked up and tossed in a nearby slough. | |||||||||||
| 1999-07-27 | 2 | 45°59'N / 98°31'W | 45°59'N / 98°31'W | 2.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 800K | 0 | Dickey | |
| Brief Description: One half mile debris from 3 mobile homes. Large trees uprooted. 70kt winds reported with storm. | |||||||||||
| 1999-08-15 | 2 | 46°37'N / 99°24'W | 46°42'N / 99°21'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm developed over Emmons county in south central North Dakota and moved northeast producing an F1 tornado in open county 12 miles northeast of Napoleon in Logan county. The tornado continued northeast increasing to an F2 tornado 3 miles southwest of Streeter then lifted 3 miles north of Streeter. The tornado narrowly missed the city of Streeter but inflicted damage to a farmstead destroying a pickup truck...garage and quonset. | |||||||||||
| 1999-08-15 | 2 | 46°39'N / 98°11'W | 46°33'N / 98°04'W | 8.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | La Moure | |
| Brief Description: The storm survey was completed by NWS Grand Forks. The tornado started in Barnes county 1.5 miles southwest of Litchville, moved across far northeast LaMoure county, and dissipated in Ransom county 6 miles north of Lisbon. The total path length was 20 miles. | |||||||||||
| 1999-08-15 | 2 | 46°34'N / 97°59'W | 46°31'N / 97°41'W | 20.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.2M | 0 | Ransom | |
| Brief Description: Most of the damage from the tornado occurred roughly 3 miles northeast of Fort Ransom, just across the Sheyenne River. One farm had a wood barn and 2 large pole barns completely destroyed. At another nearby farm, another wood barn and a pole barn were destroyed, some debris deposited several hundred feet away. Numerous large trees were broken and a feeding car was thrown a half a mile away. Thousands of large trees surrounding the path of the tornado were snapped in two, many of these along the Sheyenne River Valley. | |||||||||||
| 2000-11-01 | 2 | 46°57'N / 100°46'W | 46°56'N / 100°58'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 55K | 0 | Burleigh | |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in a sparsely developed area in open country along highway 1804. The tornado skipped in a west..northwest direction. One home was heavily damaged. Several bales of hay were destroyed. The tornado crossed the Missouri River into Morton county. | |||||||||||
| 2001-07-17 | 2 | 47°08'N / 99°40'W | 47°04'N / 99°31'W | 10.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Kidder | |
| Brief Description: Tornado reported to be 1/2 mile wide at times. The tornado remained in open country before entering into Stutsman county. Damage was contained to metal and double poled high power line towers. A farmstead in the path of the tornado sustained $200,000 in damage. (see Stutsman county report on same tornado.) | |||||||||||
| 2001-07-17 | 2 | 47°05'N / 99°25'W | 46°53'N / 99°10'W | 20.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Stutsman | |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved southeast out of Kidder county. Numerous sources reported the tornado ranged to 1/2 mile wide at times. The tornado was on the ground for 66 minutes with a total storm path of 29 miles. The tornado remained in open country flattening a total of 64 metal and double high power line towers. | |||||||||||
| 2001-07-25 | 2 | 46°46'N / 103°53'W | 46°46'N / 103°53'W | 5.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Golden Valley | |
| Brief Description: The tornado remained in open country but hit a farmstead causing major damage. Windows blown out. Singles and siding ripped off. | |||||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 2004-05-19 | 2 | 47°35'N / 98°26'W | 47°36'N / 98°22'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Griggs | |
| Brief Description: A pole barn was blown into some trees, a machine shed was demolished, and major tree damage occurred with this tornado. Members of a family were in a farm yard watching this tornado develop, and rushed to their basement just before the tornado hit. | |||||||||||
| 2004-05-19 | 2 | 48°55'N / 97°44'W | 48°55'N / 97°44'W | 0.70 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Pembina | |
| Brief Description: Four trailer homes were blown over and a repair shop had extensive roof damage. Trees and power lines were blown down, interrupting electrical service. Two houses were also damaged. Most people in the trailer homes drove away prior to the tornado, having been alerted to the impending danger. | |||||||||||
| 2004-06-06 | 2 | 47°51'N / 101°34'W | 47°56'N / 101°28'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ward | |
| Brief Description: Very soon after touching down the tornado completely destroyed a barn two miles west of Douglas. One horse and three goats were killed. Later along its path, several outbuildings were damaged and 45 evergreen trees were uprooted. | |||||||||||
| 2004-07-18 | 2 | 47°41'N / 97°36'W | 47°41'N / 97°36'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Steele | |
| Brief Description: The tornado tore the roof off a barn and impaled a tree branch in the wooden door of a granary. Many trees were damaged and a high voltage power tower was knocked over. The tornado tracked mainly along the Goose River (about 4 miles west of Hatton) to about 4 miles south-southwest of Hatton. | |||||||||||
| 2004-07-18 | 2 | 46°59'N / 97°40'W | 46°56'N / 97°37'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Cass | |
| Brief Description: The tornado knocked down high voltage power lines and three metal towers north of Tower City. Several farm buildings were also damaged northeast of Tower City. | |||||||||||
| 2005-06-29 | 2 | 45°57'N / 97°37'W | 46°02'N / 97°30'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Sargent | |
| Brief Description: Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted along the damage path. A roof was torn off a pole barn in Havana. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. | |||||||||||
| 2005-09-05 | 2 | 46°42'N / 96°51'W | 46°42'N / 96°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Cass | |
| Brief Description: After strong winds and heavy rain hit a farmstead, a tornado followed closely behind. The tornado tracked intermittently along a 4 mile path. A 30 foot concrete silo was lifted and blown onto a machine shed. Concrete pieces spread in a 60 degree arc 40 to 50 feet from the foundation. One-half of the machine shed was demolished by silo debris. Numerous trees were also snapped off. A window was blown in and siding was ripped off the house. The peak wind speeds were estimated at 120 mph. | |||||||||||
| 2006-08-24 | 2 | 47°21'N / 101°18'W | 47°22'N / 101°16'W | 2.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Mclean | |
| Brief Description: This low end F2 tornado, on the order of 120 mph, produced considerable damage to a farm house and outbuildings 9 miles southwest of Underwood. The attached garage was completely torn from the two story house, and the roofing materials were also torn away, leaving the trusses visible. One detached shop, garden shed, and well house were destroyed. Items from the property were found 1/2 mile away. Nearby power lines were down. National Weather Service personnel conducted storm surveys of the area on two different days. | |||||||||||
| 2007-07-15 | 2 | 46°50'N / 97°27'W | 46°48'N / 97°29'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0.3M | 0K | Cass | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado toppled a barn, severely injuring a horse. It tumbled farm outbuildings and toppled one high voltage power tower. The tower was made of steel and had four footings. Peak winds were estimated at 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: At 3 pm CST on the 15th, a stationary front was located from near Minot (ND) to Jamestown (ND) to near Sisseton (SD). South of the front, mid afternoon temperatures ranged in the mid 80s to lower 90s. To the north of the front, a meso-high had formed, with much cooler and drier air around it. The temperature across the boundary ranged from 89F at Minot, to 73F at Devils Lake, to 64F at Crookston. The upper air pattern had a western ridge and an eastern trough, putting the northern plains in northwest flow aloft. A strengthening upper jet also moved toward eastern North Dakota, giving this system good surface and upper level support. A supercell thunderstorm developed over southern Steele County around 530 pm CST and tracked across western Cass County and into eastern Ransom County before weakening after 7 pm CST. Then, another supercell thunderstorm formed over northern Steele County around 725 pm CST. This storm tracked just west of the path of the first storm, again mainly hitting central Steele County, western Cass County, and eastern Ransom County, before weakening around 915 pm CST. Both thunderstorms tracked south-southeast at speeds between 40 and 50 mph and spawned multiple tornadoes which were embedded within the overall downburst wind and hail pattern. The significant downburst wind and wind driven hail was seen in two partially overlapping paths, with each path from 5 to 7 miles wide and between 60 and 80 miles long (this damage path showed up clearly on satellite images). The strength of these winds is believed to have exceeded 80 mph with speeds over 100 mph in some localized areas. Hail sizes ranged from penny to hen egg sized. Most areas received considerable hail damage at the same time as the strong winds. Law enforcement officials and witnesses stated that the hail often persisted for longer than 5 minutes and completely covered the ground. The hail damaged roofs, windows, and siding in many homes along the damage path. Stripped and decimated corn, bean, and wheat fields were typical along the entire storm path too. The ND Farm Service Administration estimated losses occurred on over 700,000 acres in five counties. Total crop losses may exceed $250 million, with other property losses from $15 to $20 million. Cass and Steele Counties received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. | |||||||||||
| 2007-07-15 | 2 | 46°30'N / 97°22'W | 46°27'N / 97°19'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 1.0M | Ransom | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado cut a large gap in mature hardwood trees near the Sheyenne River and snapped several wooden power poles. Several sections of a large irrigation system were also tipped over. Peak winds were estimated at 115 mph. Some crops were damaged in Owego Township. EPISODE NARRATIVE: At 3 pm CST on the 15th, a stationary front was located from near Minot (ND) to Jamestown (ND) to near Sisseton (SD). South of the front, mid afternoon temperatures ranged in the mid 80s to lower 90s. To the north of the front, a meso-high had formed, with much cooler and drier air around it. The temperature across the boundary ranged from 89F at Minot, to 73F at Devils Lake, to 64F at Crookston. The upper air pattern had a western ridge and an eastern trough, putting the northern plains in northwest flow aloft. A strengthening upper jet also moved toward eastern North Dakota, giving this system good surface and upper level support. A supercell thunderstorm developed over southern Steele County around 530 pm CST and tracked across western Cass County and into eastern Ransom County before weakening after 7 pm CST. Then, another supercell thunderstorm formed over northern Steele County around 725 pm CST. This storm tracked just west of the path of the first storm, again mainly hitting central Steele County, western Cass County, and eastern Ransom County, before weakening around 915 pm CST. Both thunderstorms tracked south-southeast at speeds between 40 and 50 mph and spawned multiple tornadoes which were embedded within the overall downburst wind and hail pattern. The significant downburst wind and wind driven hail was seen in two partially overlapping paths, with each path from 5 to 7 miles wide and between 60 and 80 miles long (this damage path showed up clearly on satellite images). The strength of these winds is believed to have exceeded 80 mph with speeds over 100 mph in some localized areas. Hail sizes ranged from penny to hen egg sized. Most areas received considerable hail damage at the same time as the strong winds. Law enforcement officials and witnesses stated that the hail often persisted for longer than 5 minutes and completely covered the ground. The hail damaged roofs, windows, and siding in many homes along the damage path. Stripped and decimated corn, bean, and wheat fields were typical along the entire storm path too. The ND Farm Service Administration estimated losses occurred on over 700,000 acres in five counties. Total crop losses may exceed $250 million, with other property losses from $15 to $20 million. Cass and Steele Counties received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. | |||||||||||
| 2007-07-15 | 2 | 46°55'N / 97°36'W | 46°49'N / 97°34'W | 8.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0K | Cass | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado plowed through wooden power poles and viciously ripped up mature trees over its damage path. The tornado also damaged a sturdy pole shed, where the sidewall was caved in and the roof and rafters were torn off. It tore the roof off and collapsed an older barn, then lifted and threw a well-built two car garage from its slab foundation. The tornado crumpled one steel, four footing, high voltage power tower. In combination with extreme downburst winds, the collapse of this first tower helped initiate the collapse of dozens more of these power towers. Peak winds were estimated at 130 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: At 3 pm CST on the 15th, a stationary front was located from near Minot (ND) to Jamestown (ND) to near Sisseton (SD). South of the front, mid afternoon temperatures ranged in the mid 80s to lower 90s. To the north of the front, a meso-high had formed, with much cooler and drier air around it. The temperature across the boundary ranged from 89F at Minot, to 73F at Devils Lake, to 64F at Crookston. The upper air pattern had a western ridge and an eastern trough, putting the northern plains in northwest flow aloft. A strengthening upper jet also moved toward eastern North Dakota, giving this system good surface and upper level support. A supercell thunderstorm developed over southern Steele County around 530 pm CST and tracked across western Cass County and into eastern Ransom County before weakening after 7 pm CST. Then, another supercell thunderstorm formed over northern Steele County around 725 pm CST. This storm tracked just west of the path of the first storm, again mainly hitting central Steele County, western Cass County, and eastern Ransom County, before weakening around 915 pm CST. Both thunderstorms tracked south-southeast at speeds between 40 and 50 mph and spawned multiple tornadoes which were embedded within the overall downburst wind and hail pattern. The significant downburst wind and wind driven hail was seen in two partially overlapping paths, with each path from 5 to 7 miles wide and between 60 and 80 miles long (this damage path showed up clearly on satellite images). The strength of these winds is believed to have exceeded 80 mph with speeds over 100 mph in some localized areas. Hail sizes ranged from penny to hen egg sized. Most areas received considerable hail damage at the same time as the strong winds. Law enforcement officials and witnesses stated that the hail often persisted for longer than 5 minutes and completely covered the ground. The hail damaged roofs, windows, and siding in many homes along the damage path. Stripped and decimated corn, bean, and wheat fields were typical along the entire storm path too. The ND Farm Service Administration estimated losses occurred on over 700,000 acres in five counties. Total crop losses may exceed $250 million, with other property losses from $15 to $20 million. Cass and Steele Counties received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. | |||||||||||
| 2007-08-26 | 2 | 47°43'N / 96°57'W | 47°43'N / 96°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado wrecked an antique wind charger windmill and downed some trees in Bentru Township (ND). It then crossed the Red River into Polk County, Minnesota, where it dissipated about 4 miles northwest of Eldred at 910 pm CST. The total path length was about 5 miles long, and about 2 miles of the total occurred in Grand Forks County. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front moved across North Dakota on the 26th, with a hot and humid airmass in place ahead of the front. At 6 pm CST, a surface low was located over southern Manitoba (Canada), just north of Pembina, ND. The cold front stretched to the southwest, back toward Devils Lake (ND) and Bismarck (ND). Ahead of the cold front, temperatures ranged in the low to mid 80s with dew points around 70F. Behind the front, temperatures did not cool significantly, but dew points dropped to the mid 40s. Thunderstorms began to form along and ahead of the cold front by early evening (from northeast ND into south central ND), eventually crossing into northwest Minnesota several hours later. Eight distinct tornadoes occurred over northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota during this event. | |||||||||||
| 2010-06-17 | 2 | 47°21'N / 97°37'W | 47°21'N / 97°34'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Steele | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado tracked northeastward for nearly 3 miles to around 8 miles east-northeast of Hope. Numerous trees were severely damaged in shelterbelts. An abandoned farmhouse was collapsed and other farm buildings were damaged. Peak winds were estimated at 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 2010-06-17 | 2 | 47°18'N / 97°46'W | 47°24'N / 97°48'W | 7.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Steele | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado tracked northward for nearly 7 miles, to around 1 mile north of Blabon. The tornado produced severe tree damage in field and farm shelterbelts located along its path. Rear flank downdraft winds also produced tree damage at the Hope golf course. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 2010-06-17 | 2 | 47°54'N / 97°18'W | 48°01'N / 97°21'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado tracked northward intermittently for about 7 miles. A pole barn and several farm outbuildings were destroyed. Large trees were snapped or uprooted. Debris was thrown near Emerado and just east of the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Conditions were ripe by the afternoon of the 17th for a major severe weather outbreak. A surface low had moved into east central North Dakota with an occluded front extending to the southeast. Warm and humid air was in place ahead of the front, with a much drier airmass pushing in behind it. The 500mb low was located over northwest North Dakota with a nice southwest to northeast upper jet pushing into eastern North Dakota. Two lines of convection formed by late afternoon, one from Roseau County down toward Eastern Otter Tail County and the other over east central North Dakota. Nearly all the cells that formed took on a classic hook shape with rotation very evident on radar imagery. Multiple tornado warnings were issued before the event wound down by mid evening. The strongest tornadoes were determined to be EF4 tornadoes, two in west central Minnesota and one in northeast North Dakota. | |||||||||||
| 2010-08-10 | 2 | 47°41'N / 97°15'W | 47°41'N / 97°15'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Grand Forks | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado struck a farmstead in southern Grand Forks County, damaging a large well constructed equipment shed. The tornado traveled over a shelterbelt along the west edge of the property causing considerable damage. Several pieces of farm equipment were moved and flipped. An empty grain bin was removed from its foundation and lofted 300 yards, with much of the bin landing in the northwest corner of the shelterbelt. EPISODE NARRATIVE: As an upper level disturbance lifted into eastern North Dakota, a semi-circle of thunderstorms formed around its northern and eastern periphery. As a segment of these storms moved north of Mayville, they produced a brief tornado near Holmes. | |||||||||||
* 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.