Portland, ND Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Portland is about the same as North Dakota average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Portland is higher than North Dakota average and is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #180
| Portland, 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
| Portland, 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, #26
| Portland, ND | 144.69 |
| 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 2,282 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Portland, 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: | 36 | Cold: | 27 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 2 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 177 | Hail: | 1,186 | Heat: | 1 | Heavy Snow: | 7 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 6 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 15 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 730 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 29 | Winter Weather: | 0 |
| Other: | 65 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Portland, ND.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Portland, ND.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Portland, ND.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 51 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Portland, ND.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 2.5 | 1974-07-20 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°19'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | |||
| 7.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 13.3 | 1953-06-27 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°05'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Traill | |||
| 13.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 14.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 15.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 16.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 16.8 | 1973-06-16 | 3 | 47°22'N / 97°04'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | |||
| 17.2 | 1965-06-26 | 2 | 47°30'N / 97°00'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Traill | |
| 17.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 21.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 22.0 | 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 |
| 22.1 | 1976-06-12 | 2 | 47°22'N / 97°48'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Steele | |||
| 24.5 | 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 |
| 25.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 26.3 | 1977-07-13 | 2 | 47°40'N / 96°54'W | 47°42'N / 96°51'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
| 26.8 | 2007-08-26 | 2 | 47°42'N / 96°55'W | 47°43'N / 96°51'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Polk |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down at 9 pm CST about 7 miles east-northeast of Reynolds, North Dakota (in Grand Forks County). It crossed the Red River into western Polk County at about 904 pm CST. The total tornado path length was about 5 miles, and about 3 miles of the total occurred in Tynsid Township in Polk County. The tornado destroyed a steel pole shed and a wooden quonset at one farmstead with significant tree damage at other locations nearby. 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. | |||||||||||
| 28.8 | 1958-08-11 | 3 | 47°54'N / 97°12'W | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Grand Forks | |||
| 30.3 | 1952-07-09 | 2 | 47°55'N / 97°10'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Grand Forks | |||
| 31.3 | 2005-06-23 | 2 | 47°50'N / 96°55'W | 47°49'N / 96°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: Well-built garage walls and a roof were torn off a home. Steel grain bins were ripped off their foundations and thrown through the air. A 36x100 foot hip-roofed barn was torn from its foundation and demolished. Peak winds were estimated at 150 mph. | |||||||||||
| 31.4 | 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 |
| 31.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 31.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 31.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 32.6 | 1955-06-30 | 2 | 47°54'N / 97°00'W | 0 | 7 | 25K | 0 | Polk | |||
| 33.0 | 1987-07-21 | 3 | 47°38'N / 98°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Griggs | |
| 37.4 | 1965-09-04 | 2 | 47°10'N / 98°00'W | 0.50 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Barnes | |
| 38.7 | 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 |
| 38.9 | 2005-06-23 | 2 | 47°51'N / 96°44'W | 47°52'N / 96°43'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: Two steel grains bins were ripped off their foundations with debris thrown for about a half-mile to the northeast. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. | |||||||||||
| 39.2 | 1986-06-15 | 2 | 47°16'N / 98°08'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Griggs | |
| 39.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.2 | 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 |
| 42.1 | 1959-06-10 | 2 | 46°54'N / 97°12'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | |||
| 42.3 | 1986-06-15 | 2 | 47°19'N / 98°14'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Griggs | |
| 42.5 | 1957-07-16 | 3 | 47°15'N / 98°12'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Griggs | |||
| 43.2 | 2005-05-21 | 2 | 47°52'N / 96°37'W | 47°52'N / 96°37'W | 0.30 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down north of Crookston, and created a west-to-east damage path. The tornado hit a well-constructed pole barn and then travelled into an open field. Several large trees were snapped in half. The estimated peak wind speed was 140 mph. | |||||||||||
| 43.2 | 1974-08-14 | 2 | 47°11'N / 98°10'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Barnes | |||
| 43.3 | 1977-07-13 | 2 | 48°06'N / 97°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Polk | |
| 43.5 | 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 |
| 44.0 | 1973-06-15 | 3 | 46°52'N / 97°15'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cass | |||
| 44.4 | 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 |
| 44.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 1955-08-03 | 2 | 47°00'N / 98°00'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Barnes | |
| 45.4 | 1965-06-26 | 2 | 47°00'N / 98°00'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Barnes | |||
| 46.3 | 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 |
| 47.1 | 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 |
| 47.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 1960-05-31 | 2 | 46°52'N / 96°54'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cass | |||
| 49.2 | 1999-07-14 | 2 | 48°12'N / 97°08'W | 48°11'N / 97°06'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Marshall |
| Brief Description: The tornado lifted the roof off a warehouse, depositing it nearly 2 miles away to the southeast. A 6-ton truck was also pushed nearly 150 yards. | |||||||||||
| 49.4 | 1976-08-19 | 2 | 46°47'N / 97°21'W | 0.30 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cass | |
| 50.0 | 1977-07-13 | 2 | 48°01'N / 96°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Polk | |
* 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.