Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota · 2009

EF0 tornado, Michigan City, North Dakota, June 26, 2009

Name: EF0 tornado, Michigan City, North Dakota, June 26, 2009
Start: 2009-06-26T22:32:00.000Z
End: 2009-06-26T22:39:00.000Z
Location: Michigan City, North Dakota

This EF0 tornado ran 3.0 miles across Nelson County on June 26, 2009, touching down at 5:32 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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.

EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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: EF0
Date: June 26, 2009
Touchdown: 5:32 PM CDT (22:32 UTC)
Lifted: 5:39 PM CDT (22:39 UTC)
On the ground: 7 minutes
Path length: 3.0 miles (4.8 km)
Path width: 100 yards (91 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: Nelson County
Touchdown point: 48.040, -98.130
Lift-off point: 48.051, -98.074
Record number: 0906261632-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A warm front pushed northward through eastern North Dakota during the afternoon of the 26th. By the early evening, low pressure had set up over northwest South Dakota, with the warm front extending to the northeast along a line from near Bismarck to near Devils Lake. The airmass in the warm sector was quite juicy, with surface dew points in the mid to upper 60s and temperatures in the low 90s. Thunderstorms fired up along the front and moved very slowly, which led to heavy rainfall and some flooding issues. Atmospheric conditions were also favorable for tornadoes, with the warm front, juicy air, and outflow boundaries from the thunderstorms. This led to a large number of funnel cloud reports, mostly because the rotating low clouds advanced through the larger population density centered around the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area.

This tornado remained mostly over open fields and rangeland. Peak winds were estimated at 80 mph.

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

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 26, 2:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 26, 2:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
250 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

.SHORT TERM...
MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IS HEAVY RAIN/SEVERE POTENTIAL TONIGHT.
MODELS ARE IN DECENT CONSENSUS IN SHOWING BETTER DEVELOPMENT EARLY
ON TONIGHT OVER THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS...TRANSITIONING MORE TO A RAIN
EVENT LATE TONIGHT. FOLLOWED THE HPC PCPN AMOUNTS WHICH ARE MORE
OF A MODEL BLEND.

TONIGHT...AT 19Z...THERE WAS STILL BROAD SFC LOW PRESSURE OVER THE
WESTERN HIGH PLAINS...MAINLY BETWEEN KMBG AND KPHP. NICE WARM
SECTOR AROUND AND AHEAD OF THE LOW...WITH TEMPS IN THE LOW 90S AND
DEW POINTS IN THE 60S. THIS IS GIVING SFC BASED CAPE VALUES OF
AROUND 3500 J/KG AND MLCAPE VALUES ABOUT THE SAME. BULK SHEAR
VALUES ARE BEST OVER THE WESTERN DAKOTAS...BUT THERE ARE SOME 40KT
VALUES UP TOWARD KDVL. LOWEST SFC BASED LIS ARE RIGHT AROUND THE
SFC LOW (-9)...BUT DO EXTEND ALL OVER THE WARM SECTOR. 18Z
SOUNDINGS AT KABR/KUNR ARE STILL SHOWING SOME WEAK CAP IN PLACE
...SO ARE STILL AWAITING THE KICKER TO GET THINGS GOING WITHIN THE
NEXT FEW HOURS. FORCING STILL LOOKS BEST NEAR THE SFC LOW AND ITS
VARIOUS BOUNDARIES...OR WITH ANY PIECE OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY THAT
EJECTS OUT IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW. SPC ALREADY MONITORING PORTIONS
OF THE DAKOTAS FOR SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. AS STORMS GET GOING
LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING...THINK THINGS WILL SLOWLY
TRANSITION MORE TO A WIDESPREAD RAIN EVENT OVERNIGHT. MODELS TRACK
THE SFC LOW INTO EAST CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BY 06Z SAT...THEN UP
INTO NORTHWEST MN BY 12Z SAT. NICE MOISTURE TRANSPORT ALSO SETS UP
WITH THE LOW LEVEL JET CRANKING UP TO 50KTS OR GREATER. NOT SURE
ABOUT HOW ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS SOUTH OF THE FA WILL AFFECT
THINGS UP IN THE FA EITHER...IF AN MCS DEVELOPS TO THE SOUTH IT
COULD SAP SOME OF THIS MOISTURE TRANSPORT. PREVIOUS FORECAST
ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR KDVL REGION INTO THE NORTHERN RED
RIVER VALLEY...WHICH STILL LOOKS FINE. THE SOUTHERN VALLEY HAS
ALSO BEEN HIT HARD RECENTLY...BUT THE HEAVIER RAINS LOOK TO STAY
NORTH OF THIS AREA.

SAT-MON...SAT AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING LOOKS MORE FAVORABLE
FOR PCPN TODAY...AS A 500MB SHORT WAVE TRACKS THRU. TEMPS ALOFT
LOOK PRETTY CHILLY TOO WHICH FAVOR AFTERNOON INSTABILITY SHOWERS/
TSTMS. NORTHWEST WINDS LOOK PRETTY DECENT TOO...SO IT WILL BE A
MUCH DIFFERENT DAY THAN TODAY. LOWERED HIGHS A BIT BUT PROBABLY
NOT QUITE ENOUGH...MUCH DEPENDS ON LINGERING CLOUD COVER. REST OF
FORECAST LOOKS FINE.

.LONG TERM TUE-FRI...
00Z AND 06Z MODEL RUNS WERE QUITE VARIED IN THEIR SOLUTIONS
REGARDING MID TO LATE WEEK 500 MB PATTERN.  12Z RUNS A BIT BETTER
BUT STILL QUITE VARIED IN HOW DEEP THE 500 MB TROUGH WILL BE OVER
THE GREAT LAKES.  IT IS LOOKING LIKE A WEAK SFC TROUGH WILL PASS
THRU TUES NIGHT OR WED FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE.  BASED ON COORD
WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES WE WENT AGAINST HPC POPS AND LOWERED AND
WENT DRY FOR THU-FRI PERIOD.  TEMPS LOOK A BIT CLOSER TO NORMAL OR A
FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION...
MAIN PLAYER WILL BE TIMING THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING AND SPREADING INTO
NW/WCNTRL MN LATE TONIGHT-SAT MORNING.  WENT WIDESPREAD
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE TAFS LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AT MOST TAF
SITES.  CIGS COULD GO DOWN INTO MVFR RANGE LATER IN THE NIGHT IN
SATURATED AIRMASS...BUT EXTENT IS NOT CLEAR.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY
     MORNING FOR NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026-054.

MN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY
     MORNING FOR MNZ004-007.

&&

GODON/RIDDLE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 26, 6:52 AM CDT, 10 hours 40 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
652 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-271200-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
652 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR THE DEVILS LAKE BASIN AND FAR
NORTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY...

...RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR STRONG
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUING OVERNIGHT
AS THE FRONT SHIFTS EAST. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A
LINE FROM DEVILS LAKE TO LANGDON BY THIS EVENING AND SHIFT SLOWLY
EAST ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND FAR NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
OVERNIGHT. ISOLATED TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE
ALL POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. IN ADDITION HEAVY RAIN WILL BE A
THREAT MAINLY ACROSS THE DEVILS LAKE BASIN INTO THE FAR NORTHERN
VALLEY WHERE RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXCEEDING TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
ANOTHER POTENTIAL AREA FOR STRONG STORMS WILL BE ACROSS PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

AREAS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SHIFT EAST ACROSS NORTHWEST
AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA MAINLY SATURDAY MORNING. NO HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND RAINFALL REPORTS.

VOELKER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 26, 1:22 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
122 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1225 PM     HAIL             5 W CANDO               48.49N 99.31W
06/26/2009  E1.00 INCH       TOWNER             ND   PUBLIC

1225 PM     HAIL             7 SW CANDO              48.42N 99.31W
06/26/2009  E0.75 INCH       TOWNER             ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DRIDDLE

Local storm report, Jun 26, 1:56 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
156 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0120 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     10 NW MOUNTAIN          48.79N 98.02W
06/26/2009                   CAVALIER           ND   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SITED BETWEEN 120 AND 130 PM WELL ABOVE GROUND BEFORE IT
            LIFTED INTO CLOUD.

&&

WBARRETT

Special weather statement, Jun 26, 2:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
255 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

NDZ006-262045-
TOWNER ND-
255 PM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN TOWNER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA...

UNTIL 345 PM CDT

AT 254 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL. THE STORM
WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROLLA...OR 54 MILES WEST OF
LANGDON...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
HANSBORO AT 310 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME
SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

LAT...LON 4900 9955 4901 9952 4901 9915 4901 9909
      4891 9904 4880 9954
TIME...MOT...LOC 1955Z 248DEG 23KT 4890 9953

DTR

The surface observations

Grand_forks_afb (RDR), 53 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:30 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.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2009 tornado in North Dakota Every tornado in North Dakota since 1950 Warnings in force in North Dakota now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 26, 2009

18 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 26	3:20 PM EDT	EF0	Aroostook, ME	0.7	50
June 26	4:50 PM EDT	EF1	Capitol Planning Region, CT	1.7	40	$750,000
June 26	5:00 PM EDT	EF0	Duval, FL	7.1	20
June 26	4:00 PM MDT	EF0	Adams, CO	0.1	50
June 26	5:30 PM CDT	EF0	Benson, ND	0.3	25
June 26	6:30 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh, ND	3.2	200
June 26	6:30 PM CDT	EF1	Grand Forks, ND	7.0	200
June 26	6:35 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh, ND	3.1	300	$250,000
June 26	6:43 PM CDT	EF0	McLean, ND	0.5	20
June 26	6:55 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh, ND	3.6	250	$7,000
June 26	7:10 PM CDT	EF0	McLean, ND	0.1	20
June 26	7:22 PM CDT	EF0	Grand Forks, ND	0.1	25
June 26	7:43 PM CDT	EF0	Grand Forks, ND	0.1	25
June 26	8:15 PM CDT	EF0	Lincoln, NE	0.1	20	$750
June 26	8:22 PM CDT	EF1	Lincoln, NE	0.1	20	$152,000
June 26	8:35 PM CDT	EF1	Traill, ND	0.1	100	$150,000
June 26	9:12 PM CDT	EF0	Traill, ND	2.9	75	$5,000
June 26	9:50 PM CDT	EF0	Traill, ND	1.0	75

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.