Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota

Tornadoes in Ramsey County, North Dakota

51 tornadoes have crossed Ramsey County since 1950, 11th of the 53 counties in North Dakota with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.5 years. They have killed 0 people and injured 1. None was rated F4 or 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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: 51
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
F4 and above: 0
Worst on record: F2, June 12, 1976

The strongest

Every year with a tornado

The 31 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Ramsey County. Each year links to every tornado in North Dakota that year.

Year	Tornadoes	Injuries	Strongest
2025	1		EF0
2024	1		Unrated
2021	1		EF0
2018	1		EF1
2017	1		EF0
2016	2		EF0
2014	1		EF0
2013	1		EF1
2011	1		EF0
2007	1		EF0
2005	1		F0
2003	1		F0
2002	2		F0
2000	2		F0
1999	4		F0
1993	1		F0
1991	1		F0
1989	1		F0
1986	1		F0
1985	2		F1
1983	1		F0
1982	1		F0
1981	1		F1
1978	2		F0
1976	6		F2
1975	2		F0
1974	2		F1
1972	2		F0
1971	2		F2
1966	4	1	F2
1965	1		F0

Every tornado that crossed Ramsey County

51 tornadoes, newest first.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
July 7, 2025	4:27 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.5	10
September 18, 2024	8:38 PM CDT	Unrated	Ramsey	0.1	10
August 22, 2021	6:02 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.3	25
July 4, 2018	3:20 AM CDT	EF1	Ramsey	1.0	150		$200,000
June 9, 2017	8:27 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.1	25
August 3, 2016	8:41 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.8	40
August 3, 2016	8:40 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	1.4	40
June 11, 2014	1:14 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.4	30
July 21, 2013	9:08 PM CDT	EF1	Ramsey	1.5	100
July 16, 2011	9:48 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	0.2	10
August 10, 2007	2:18 PM CDT	EF0	Ramsey	1.5	25
July 10, 2005	10:00 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	1.0	25
June 27, 2003	8:12 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	25
August 23, 2002	7:20 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	2.0	25
July 31, 2002	6:50 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.2	10
July 15, 2000	8:25 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.5	50
July 15, 2000	8:05 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	1.0	50		$50,000
July 13, 1999	10:45 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.5	0
June 6, 1999	2:20 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	1.0	0
June 6, 1999	2:05 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	2.0	0
June 6, 1999	1:50 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	3.0	0
July 27, 1993	1:15 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 13, 1991	4:15 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 6, 1989	9:00 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.2	13
July 11, 1986	6:35 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.2	13		$5,000 to $50,000
June 14, 1985	2:00 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.2	50
June 14, 1985	1:50 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.3	50
July 15, 1983	8:00 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.3	10		under $50
July 4, 1982	7:03 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.4	10		under $50
July 15, 1981	7:15 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	1.5	27		$50 to $500
July 4, 1978	12:23 AM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10
May 26, 1978	8:15 AM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
August 26, 1976	4:30 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 27, 1976	4:05 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 12, 1976	4:05 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 12, 1976	1:50 AM CDT	F2	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 11, 1976	9:55 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
June 11, 1976	9:55 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
July 4, 1975	7:15 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10
July 4, 1975	7:15 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10
July 11, 1974	10:00 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
July 11, 1974	9:30 PM CDT	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10
July 1, 1972	8:00 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.3	20
June 1, 1972	8:45 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	0.5	20
July 6, 1971	12:25 AM CDT	F1	Ramsey	1.3	50		$50,000 to $500,000
June 21, 1971	4:12 PM CDT	F2	Ramsey	0.1	50		$500 to $5,000
August 5, 1966	5:45 PM GMT-5	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
August 5, 1966	5:09 PM GMT-5	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10		$50,000 to $500,000
August 5, 1966	4:00 PM GMT-5	F2	Ramsey	0.1	10	1	$50,000 to $500,000
August 5, 1966	3:36 PM GMT-5	F1	Ramsey	0.1	10		$50,000 to $500,000
July 13, 1965	3:05 PM GMT-5	F0	Ramsey	0.1	10

Nearby

Warnings in force in Ramsey County The forecast for Ramsey County The live radar over Ramsey County Every 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.