Benson County, North Dakota severe weather history spans 551 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 53.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #724 nationally and #10 in North Dakota.
551
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$14.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Benson County, North Dakota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Benson County, North Dakota severe weather history averages 8.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 246 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 54 events fall before 1990 and 497 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $8.5M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Benson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 297 | 0 | $115K | 4.5 | 1967–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 152 | 0 | $8.5M | 103 | 1961–2026 |
| Tornado | 49 | 0 | $1.2M | F3 | 1958–2020 |
| Flood | 25 | 0 | $4.8M | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $253K | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Benson County, North Dakota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
53 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 50 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-05-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-08-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-08-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-07-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-06-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Downburst winds and tornadoes tore down 31 miles of 230 kV power transmission lines crossing far eastern Pierce and western Benson counties. The 25 mile section from the Pierce county line to 2 miles northwest of Minnewaukan was blown down between 5:00 am to 5:20 am CDT by winds of 90 to 110 mph. The Great River Power Company estimated property loss in Benson county at $6.45 million.
A deputy reported 18 to 20 power poles snapped along the highway west of Minnewauken. An accompanying photo showed a damage pattern associated with an apparent microburst with very strong outflow. Peak winds were estimated at 110 mph.
This tornado and corresponding rear flank downdraft wind produced widespread dust, which greatly reduced the visibility. Numerous ash, poplar, cottonwood, and evergreen trees were snapped or uprooted in shelterbelts and groves along its path. Peak winds of 119 mph were measured by a mobile system.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,808
Population (ACS)
$90K
Median home value
34
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 1, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 12, 2017 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 19, 2014 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 12, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Benson County, North Dakota?
551 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $14.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Benson County?
Hail, with 297 recorded events — 53.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Benson County?
53 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 50 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Benson County?
34 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Benson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Benson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benson County as very low risk, placing it in the 24 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Benson County, North Dakota severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Barnes County 607
- Billings County 171
- Adams County 282
- Bottineau County 314
- Bowman County 297
- Burke County 214
Cite this page
“Benson County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/benson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.