North Dakota Tornadoes
Tornadoes
are Nature's Most Violent Storms
North Dakota has on average 21 reported tornadoes a year
(1950-2004). The numbers range from only two in 1950, 1951 and 1961to as many as
65 in 1999.
Most tornadoes in the state occur from 3 pm to 11 pm local time in the months of June,
July and August. Below are more interesting tornado facts for North Dakota and the nation.
Turtle Lake
Tornado on July 28, 1996
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| Development Phase |
Mature Stage (F1) |
Dissipation Stage |
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Did You Know
That?
- The earliest tornado in the season for North
Dakota occurred on March 26th, 2003. Around 418 PM, a tornado briefly
touched down about 2 miles southwest of Edmunds in Stutsman County. Minor
damage was reported with this tornado.
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This photo
was taken by Dave Bolin.
Stacy Adolf-Whipp (forwarded e-mail through Kevin Lawrence at KFYR-TV) |
- The latest tornado in the season for North
Dakota occurred on November 1, 2000. Around 1 PM CST, the first of several tornadoes touched down in
the northern part of Bismarck and moved west. There were several injuries
and considerable damage in north Bismarck.
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This photo was taken by SKYWARN
spotter and amateur radio operator Pat Whitlock, K�TVS. |
The longest
tornado track in North Dakota was 47.5 miles. This tornado occurred on May 5, 1964 and
moved across parts of Emmons, McIntosh and Logan counties.
The greatest
tornado path width was 6000 feet and it occurred in Bottineau county on June 26, 1986.
From 1950 to 2004,
Cass county reported the most tornadoes with 65, while Stutsman county came in second with
48. The county with the fewest tornadoes is BIllings with 6.
The United States
has 75% of the World's tornadoes!
The average
forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but can range from stationary to 70 mph.
Most tornadoes
move toward the northeast. However, tornadoes can move in any direction (some have even
moved toward the west).
The most
destructive tornado in North Dakota history occurred in Fargo during the evening of June
20, 1957. This tornado episode consisted of five different tornadoes, each taking its turn
on the ground as the storm traveled 27.4 miles across Cass and into Clay counties.
The tornadoes were 1500 feet wide and the one that hit Fargo was classified as an F5
tornado (winds of 261-318 mph). There were 10 fatalities and 103 injuries.
Killer
Tornadoes in North Dakota
From 1950 - 2004, there have been 24
fatalities and 321 injuries from tornadoes. Below is a list of those
tornadoes in North Dakota that have caused fatalities:
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July 1, 1952 in Burleigh and Kidder counties: 2 fatalities (one in
each county)
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May 29, 1953 in Morton county: 2 fatalities
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July 2, 1955 in Richland county: 2 fatalities
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June 20, 1957 in Cass county: 10 fatalities
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June 24, 1966 in Cavalier county: 1 fatality
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June 29, 1975 in Hettinger county: 1 fatality
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July 4, 1978 in Grant county: 5 fatalities
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July 23, 1997 in Renville County: 1 fatality
North Dakota
Tornado Classifications
The National Weather Service classifies
tornadoes using the Fujita tornado scale (F scale). The Fujita scale,
devised by Dr. T. Theodore Fujita (1971), is used to classify U.S. tornadoes in
six intensity categories, F0-F5.
Here is the Fujita Scale:
• F0 ( 40-72 mph)
• F1 ( 73-112 mph)
• F2 (113-157 mph)
• F3 (158-206 mph)
• F4 (207-260 mph)
• F5 (261-318 mph)
F5 (highest rating) tornadoes have hit Cass, Emmons, and Morton counties.
For a tornado to be counted in these statistics it must be reported. It is entirely
possible for a tornado to occur in the state without anyone knowing it. It is therefore no
coincidence that those counties that receive the most tornadoes are also those counties
with higher populations.
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