Tornadoes · United States · Minnesota · 2021

EF1 tornado, Redlake to Tenstrike, Minnesota, July 26, 2021

From Redlake to Tenstrike, this EF1 tornado ran 4.1 miles across Beltrami County on July 26, 2021, touching down at 5:16 PM CDT and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $500,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
July 26, 2021
Touchdown
5:16 PM CDT (22:16 UTC)
Lifted
5:22 PM CDT (22:22 UTC)
On the ground
6 minutes
Path length
4.1 miles (6.5 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500,000
County
Beltrami County
Touchdown point
47.890, -94.870
Lift-off point
47.849, -94.808
Record number
2107261616-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Isolated severe thunderstorms formed during the afternoon, producing heavy impacts as the result of large hail, damaging wind gusts, and several tornadoes.

Initial report of a tornado on Lower Red Lake, which moved onshore at Red Lake and tracked for less than one mile. The tornado lifted by 515 PM CDT. Damaging downburst winds, heavy rain, and large hail continued to track southeastward with this storm. Damage was reported to the Tribal College, as well as other homes and buildings in the area. A light pole was snapped and several signs were toppled. Several large trees were snapped.

This tornado formed near the shore of Lower Red Lake and tracked to the southeast. It crossed MN HWY 1 near the intersection with BIA15 and penetrated deeply into a large evergreen and oak forest. Trees were snapped and debris was tangled, though most debris tracked with the southeast moving storm. The tornado appeared to have dissipated around 522 PM CDT, after crossing BIA18, roughly 6 miles ESE of Redby.

This tornado was likely wrapped in downburst winds, heavy rain, and large ail. The tornado crossed several County and Township roads as it tracked to the southeast, with numerous poplar and oak trees snapped along it's path. It appears to have crossed portions of Dark Lake, Whitefish Lake, and Sandy Lake in Nebish and Hagali Townships, before dissipating. near the western edge of Gull Lake, about 4 WNW of Tenstrike.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

3 minutes of warning. NWS FGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:13 UTC, 3 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
21:30 UTC22:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF
22:13 UTC23:00 UTCTornado WarningFGF
22:23 UTC03:28 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchFGF
22:32 UTC23:15 UTCTornado WarningFGF
02:07 UTC02:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFGF

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 16:48 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

International Fa, MN (KINL), 12:00Z

10.3 hours before the tornado, 138 km from the path. July 26, 2021.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2021-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -84350, lifted condensation level 2151 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 12:00Z on 2021-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 86 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 40 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-84350 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2151 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
234 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

International Fa, MN (KINL), 00:00Z

1.7 hours after it, 138 km from the path. July 27, 2021.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2021-07-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -85823, lifted condensation level 2004 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, International Fa, MN at 00:00Z on 2021-07-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 108 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 57 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85823 J/kg
Surface CAPE
63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2004 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
108 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
306 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1
0-3 km lapse rate
6.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 190 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
22:07 UTCHAIL 1.25Red LakeBeltrami, MNQUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE AREA.
22:07 UTCHAIL 1.25Red LakeBeltrami, MNQUARTER TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL REPORTED.
22:13 UTCTORNADO 1Nw Red LakeBeltrami, MNINITIAL REPORT OF TORNADO ON LOWER RED LAKE WHICH QUICKLY MOVED ONSHORE AT RED LAKE AND LIKELY TRACKED FOR LESS THAN A MILE, ENDING BY 515 PM CDT. DAMAGING DOWNBURST WIND, HEAVY RAIN AND LARGE HAIL CONTINUED TO TRACK SOU
22:13 UTCTORNADORed LakeBeltrami, MNPRELIMINARY REPORT OF OBSERVED TORNADO. REPORTS OF SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
22:15 UTCHAIL 2.5RedbyBeltrami, MNHAIL UP TO TENNIS BALL SIZED, AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS UP TO 70 MPH, PUMMELLED THE AREA BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF RED LAKE AND REDBY, AND NEARBY TRIBAL LANDS IMMEDIATELY SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OF THESE COMUNITIES. WIDE
22:16 UTCTORNADO 12 Ene RedbyBeltrami, MNTHIS TORNADO FORMED NEAR THE SHORE OF LOWER RED LAKE AND TRACKED TO THE SOUTHEAST. IT CROSSED MN HWY 1 NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH BIA15 AND PENETRATED DEEPLY IN TO A FOREST OF LARGE EVERGREEN AND OAK TREES. TREES WERE SN
22:23 UTCTORNADO 01 Nnw NebishBeltrami, MNTHIS TORNADO WAS LIKELY WARPPED IN DOWNBURST WINDS, HEAVY RAIN, AND LARGE HAIL. THE TORNADO CORSSED SEVERAL COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ROADS AS IT TRACKED TO THE SOUTHEAST, WITH NUMEROUS POPLAR AND OAK TREES SNAPPED ALONG ITS P
22:35 UTCHAIL 1.752 W BlackduckBeltrami, MNGOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT THE BLACKDUCK GOLF COURSE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL OCCURRED ACROSS MOST OF THE BLACKDUCK LAKE AREA AND HINES TOWNSHIP FROM 530 THROUGH 540 PM CDT.
22:35 UTCHAIL 1.75BlackduckBeltrami, MNGOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED AT THE BLACKDUCK GOLF COURSE.
22:40 UTCHAIL 2.75TenstrikeBeltrami, MNLARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. TREES SNAPPED AND WINDOWS BROKEN OUT AROUND GULL LAKE AND NORTHERN PORT HOPE TOWNSHIP FROM 535 THROUGH 545 PM CDT. ADDITIONAL REPORTS AND PHOTOS POSTED VIA SOCIAL.
22:45 UTCHAIL 1.52 E Turtle RiverBeltrami, MNLARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS FROM 545 TO 555 PM CDT. SEVERAL LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN DOWN NEAR THE TURTLE RIVER LAKE ROAD FROM SOUTHERN PORT HOPE TOWNSHIP INTO NORTHERN SUGAR BUSH TOWNSHIP.
23:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGTenstrikeBeltrami, MNSTRUCTURAL DAMAGE REPORTED.
23:00 UTCHAIL 1.75TenstrikeBeltrami, MNGOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.
23:00 UTCHAIL 2.75TenstrikeBeltrami, MNREPORT OF BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND WINDOW DAMAGE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
23:10 UTCHAIL 2.75PenningtonBeltrami, MNSEVERAL REPORTS OF TENNIS BALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL NEAR PENNINGTON IN SOUTHERN MOOSE LAKE AND IN BROOK LAKE TOWNSHIPS FROM 610 TO 620 OM CDT. PHOTOS AND REPORTS POSTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
23:13 UTCHAIL 2.5PenningtonBeltrami, MN2.5 INCH HAIL REPORTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA WITH IMAGE.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2021 tornado in MinnesotaEvery tornado in Minnesota since 1950Warnings in force in Minnesota nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 26, 2021

2 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
July 265:13 PM CDTEF1Beltrami, MN0.8300$1.2 million
July 265:23 PM CDTEF0Beltrami, MN8.5200$100,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.