Tornadoes · United States · North Dakota

Tornadoes in Walsh County, North Dakota

56 tornadoes have crossed Walsh County since 1950, 8th of the 53 counties in North Dakota with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.4 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: 56
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
F4 and above: 0
Worst on record: F2, June 6, 1999

The strongest

Every year with a tornado

The 28 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Walsh County. Each year links to every tornado in North Dakota that year.

Year	Tornadoes	Injuries	Strongest
2025	2		EF0
2022	1		EF1
2017	2		EF1
2016	2		EF1
2015	4		EF0
2013	2		EF0
2012	2		EF0
2011	1		EF1
2010	6		EF1
2009	3		EF1
2008	2		EF0
2007	3		EF1
2005	1		F1
2004	1		F0
2002	1		F0
1999	6		F2
1993	3		F1
1991	2		F0
1984	1		F0
1983	1		F0
1979	1		F0
1978	1		F0
1976	2		F1
1971	1	1	F1
1968	2		F1
1965	1		F0
1962	1		F1
1960	1		F0

Every tornado that crossed Walsh County

56 tornadoes, newest first.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
July 7, 2025	5:31 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	1.0	10
July 7, 2025	5:08 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	0.6	30
June 24, 2022	3:27 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	2.2	100
July 11, 2017	6:30 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	7.0	150		$4,000
July 11, 2017	5:39 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	1.5	150		$2,000
July 19, 2016	6:36 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	1.0	200
July 19, 2016	6:17 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	1.5	440
June 27, 2015	4:28 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	0.8	50
June 27, 2015	4:24 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	0.8	50
June 27, 2015	4:17 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	3.0	75
May 28, 2015	5:17 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	2.0	100
May 31, 2013	2:17 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	2.3	25
May 31, 2013	1:53 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	0.1	25
June 3, 2012	7:02 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	3.0	25
June 3, 2012	6:07 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh to MN	6.1	40
June 3, 2011	3:40 AM CDT	EF1	Walsh	25.3	300
June 26, 2010	4:21 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	6.0	200
June 24, 2010	4:26 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	3.0	30
June 21, 2010	2:37 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	2.4	75
June 17, 2010	5:41 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	2.0	50
June 17, 2010	5:21 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh to MN	5.0	50
May 24, 2010	2:30 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	3.0	50
June 26, 2009	6:55 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	3.6	250		$7,000
June 26, 2009	6:35 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	3.1	300		$250,000
June 26, 2009	6:30 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	3.2	200
July 7, 2008	7:18 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	4.0	30
July 7, 2008	6:18 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	0.5	25
August 26, 2007	7:40 PM CDT	EF0	Walsh	3.0	75
August 26, 2007	7:20 PM CDT	EF1	Walsh	5.5	100
August 13, 2007	2:38 PM CDT	EF0	Nelson	6.0	100
June 23, 2005	4:14 PM CDT	F1	Walsh	2.5	100
May 19, 2004	6:49 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	25
August 23, 2002	7:20 PM CDT	F0	Ramsey	2.0	25
July 13, 1999	12:55 AM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.5	0
June 9, 1999	2:44 AM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.5	0
June 6, 1999	3:20 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.5	0
June 6, 1999	3:07 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.5	0
June 6, 1999	2:40 PM CDT	F2	Walsh	3.0	150		$250,000
June 6, 1999	2:30 PM CDT	F2	Walsh	3.1	80		$20,000
July 27, 1993	4:05 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
July 27, 1993	4:00 PM CDT	F1	Walsh	0.2	50		$5,000 to $50,000
July 27, 1993	3:35 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
June 13, 1991	5:05 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
June 13, 1991	4:50 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
August 8, 1984	4:11 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.2	30
August 2, 1983	8:40 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.3	10		under $50
June 29, 1979	2:47 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
May 25, 1978	11:00 PM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
June 11, 1976	12:45 AM CDT	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
June 11, 1976	11:22 PM CDT	F1	Walsh	0.1	10
July 6, 1971	12:30 AM CDT	F1	Walsh	4.1	50	1	$5,000 to $50,000
August 18, 1968	6:30 PM GMT-5	F1	Walsh	0.1	30		$500 to $5,000
August 5, 1968	4:00 PM GMT-5	F1	Walsh	0.1	10		$5,000 to $50,000
July 8, 1965	4:20 PM GMT-5	F0	Walsh	0.1	10
August 5, 1962	4:30 PM GMT-5	F1	Walsh	0.2	400		$500 to $5,000
August 17, 1960	8:35 PM GMT-5	F0	Walsh	0.1	10

Nearby

Warnings in force in Walsh County The forecast for Walsh County The live radar over Walsh 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.