Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota

Tornadoes in Grand Forks County, North Dakota

93 tornadoes have crossed Grand Forks County since 1950, 2nd of the 53 counties in North Dakota with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 1 person and injured 21. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

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

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

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

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

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

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

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

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

Now

Tornadoes
93
Deaths
1
Injuries
21
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, August 26, 2007

The deadliest in Grand Forks County

The strongest

Every year with a tornado

The 32 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Grand Forks County. Each year links to every tornado in North Dakota that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
202511EF1
20222EF1
20211EF1
20202EF1
20183EF1
20178EF1
20164EF1
20155EF2
20141EF1
20123EF1
201091EF4
20093EF1
20074118EF4
20054F1
20048F1
20013F0
20003F1
19981F0
19931F0
19922F0
19871F0
19861F1
19832F0
19821F1
19811F0
19791F0
19782F2
195812F3
19571F0
19562F0
19551F2
19521F2

Every tornado that crossed Grand Forks County

93 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 8, 20254:12 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks to MN4.0400
August 8, 20254:12 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks to MN5.750
August 8, 20254:05 AM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.130
August 8, 20253:57 AM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.220
August 8, 20253:55 AM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.220
August 8, 20253:54 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks2.030
August 8, 20253:51 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks4.870
August 8, 20253:48 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks1.3100
August 8, 20253:48 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks3.075
August 8, 20253:47 AM CDTEF0Grand Forks2.120
July 7, 20257:56 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks0.630
July 22, 202212:31 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks1.2150
June 24, 20225:34 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks2.9100
August 9, 20219:42 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks1.1150$1,000
June 8, 20205:09 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks3.0150$5,000
June 8, 20204:30 PM CDTEF1Steele7.0250$35,000
June 29, 20183:55 AM CDTEF1Grand Forks1.8200
June 8, 20185:30 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.0100
June 8, 20185:12 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.9100
July 11, 20176:50 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks5.81,150
July 11, 20176:25 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks5.9150$2,000
July 11, 20175:51 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.0100$2,000
June 7, 20171:23 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.975
June 7, 20171:18 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.0100
June 7, 20171:17 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.6100
June 7, 20171:02 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.350
June 7, 201712:49 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.425
August 27, 20164:18 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks4.0600
August 27, 20164:12 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.5100
July 7, 20165:15 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.540
July 7, 20165:06 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.320
July 12, 20154:35 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.110
June 27, 20156:02 PM CDTEF2Grand Forks3.0400
June 27, 20155:38 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks2.050
June 27, 20155:13 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.050
June 27, 20154:55 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks5.3150
July 21, 20148:29 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks8.0300
July 12, 20124:38 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks2.5200
June 20, 20127:02 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks1.430
June 20, 20126:49 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.220
August 10, 20101:36 PM CDTEF2Grand Forks0.950
June 21, 20103:55 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks7.0100
June 17, 20105:37 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks2.025
June 17, 20105:35 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks4.075
June 17, 20105:30 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks8.030
June 17, 20105:22 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks1.025
June 17, 20104:47 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks10.050
June 17, 20104:31 PM CDTEF2Grand Forks7.0100
June 17, 20103:49 PM CDTEF4Mayville–Thompson tornado17.01501
June 26, 20097:43 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.125
June 26, 20097:22 PM CDTEF0Grand Forks0.125
June 26, 20096:30 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks7.0200
August 26, 200710:00 PM CDTEF2Grand Forks to MN5.0300
August 26, 20079:18 PM CDTEF1Grand Forks5.0150
August 26, 20078:42 PM CDTEF4Northwood tornado5.01,400118$50 million
August 26, 20078:04 PM CDTEF3Nelson6.0580
June 19, 20054:10 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.250
June 19, 20054:00 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.250
May 20, 20054:55 PM CDTF1Grand Forks2.575
May 20, 20054:38 PM CDTF0Grand Forks1.050
July 18, 20047:20 PM CDTF1Grand Forks4.050$10,000
July 18, 20047:00 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.525
June 23, 200411:15 AM CDTF1Grand Forks6.550
June 23, 200410:44 AM CDTF1Grand Forks6.050
May 19, 20046:39 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.125
May 19, 20046:18 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.125
May 19, 20045:51 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.525
May 19, 20045:35 PM CDTF0Nelson1.025
July 18, 200112:14 AM CDTF0Grand Forks1.025
July 18, 200112:04 AM CDTF0Grand Forks0.525
June 20, 20011:55 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.525
June 12, 20007:43 PM CDTF1Grand Forks0.5200
June 12, 20007:03 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.520
June 12, 20006:35 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.530
June 27, 19988:15 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.230
July 27, 19934:33 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.110
June 22, 19926:35 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.110
June 22, 19926:29 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.113
August 5, 19877:35 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.213
May 11, 198612:40 AM CDTF1Grand Forks0.213$500 to $5,000
August 25, 19839:45 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.310under $50
August 25, 19839:30 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.310under $50
July 4, 19828:38 PM CDTF1Grand Forks0.613$5,000 to $50,000
June 27, 19819:29 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.310
June 3, 197910:00 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.110
July 24, 19786:20 PM CDTF0Grand Forks0.110
May 26, 19787:30 AM CDTF2Grand Forks0.520$50,000 to $500,000
August 11, 19585:06 PM GMT-5F3Grand Forks0.1102$5,000 to $50,000
July 11, 19574:56 PM GMT-5F0Grand Forks0.110under $50
July 18, 19564:00 PM GMT-5F0Grand Forks0.110
May 16, 19564:30 PM GMT-5F0Grand Forks0.110
June 30, 19554:30 PM GMT-5F2Grand Forks4.177$500 to $5,000
July 9, 19524:00 PM GMT-5F2Grand Forks0.110$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Grand Forks CountyThe forecast for Grand Forks CountyThe live radar over Grand Forks CountyEvery county in North Dakota

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.