Grand Forks County, North Dakota severe weather history spans 1,011 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 39.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #138 nationally and #2 in North Dakota.
1,011
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
36
Direct injuries
$109.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Grand Forks County, North Dakota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Grand Forks County, North Dakota severe weather history averages 13.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 331 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 99 events fall before 1990 and 912 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Grand Forks County, North Dakota record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $50.4M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Grand Forks County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 400 | 0 | $18.6M | 99 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 391 | 0 | $20.0M | 3 | 1959–2025 |
| Tornado | 92 | 1 | $50.4M | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 54 | 2 | $18.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 42 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2022 |
| Flood | 16 | 1 | $2.3M | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2022 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $110K | 0 | 2002–2012 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Grand Forks 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
99 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 92 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08-26 | EF4 | 1 | 18 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-17 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 17.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-08-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1958-08-11 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-08-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-07-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-07-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Grand Forks County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 2000 | Flash Flood | LARIMORE | 2 | 0 | $4.0M |
| Aug 27, 2007 | Tornado | NORTHWOOD | 1 | 18 | $50.0M |
| Apr 1, 2006 | Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $887K |
| Aug 9, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | GRAND FORKS | 0 | 12 | $18.0M |
| Aug 11, 1958 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Sep 17, 2003 | Lightning | GRAND FORKS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | GRAND FORKS AFB | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 15, 2001 | Hail | GRAND FORKS | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
After receiving 15 to 20 inches of rain over portions of western Grand Forks county, the area around Larimore quickly experienced flooding problems. During the rainfall, two men from the area decided to drive to Larimore to get something to eat. They drove into a washed out section of gravel road 30 feet deep with rushing water at the bottom. Both died in the crash about 7 miles west of Larimore. 600 feet of railroad bed washed away near Larimore, when two 3 foot diameter culverts washed out. 10 Burlington Northern-Santa Fe trains pass through this stretch daily as well as AMTRAK trains. At the Larimore Dam, water rose behind the dam and then overflowed the top. The water then cascaded 40 to 50 feet down the rocky cliffs below the dam, making it appear that the dam had failed. In the town of Larimore, water rose above the curbs. North of town, on the south branch of the Turtle River, water flowed 7 feet deep over the highway 18 bridge.
The NWS Davis system measured a 101 mph wind gust. The strong wind resulted in many trees being blown down and a citywide state of emergency. Trees fell on vehicles, fences, and homes. The wind blew over traffic lights, signs, fences, and street lights. Over 50 streets in town were impassable as an estimated 3000 or more trees were flattened. 11,000 customers lost power with hundreds of power poles damaged. A 32 unit apartment building lost its roof and many homes had shingle damage. One home under construction was demolished and a semi truck was blown over. The city had to restrict water use because of the power loss. The University of North Dakota cancelled classes on the 9th.
After receiving 15 to 20 inches of rain over portions of western Grand Forks county, the Turtle River rose to historic levels. At Arvilla, the Turtle River was a peaceful 2.04 feet June 12th at 11 pm. By June 13th at 2 pm, the river rose to 20.82 feet. Damage was especially high at the Turtle River State Park. Damages occurred at the main lodge, two year-round residences, the park office basement, parking lots, bridges, and roads. The park, at the height of the summer recreation season, was closed for several weeks while the mess was cleaned up. Preliminary damage estimates at the park came in at $500,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
72,923
Population (ACS)
$253K
Median home value
38
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jul 5, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 13, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 2, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 9, 2020 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 1, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Grand Forks 227
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?
1,011 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $109.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Grand Forks County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 400 recorded events — 39.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Grand Forks County?
99 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 92 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Grand Forks County?
38 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Grand Forks County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Grand Forks County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grand Forks County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 58 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Grand Forks 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
- Golden Valley County 225
- Grant County 324
- Foster County 199
- Griggs County 319
- Emmons County 318
- Hettinger County 303
Cite this page
“Grand Forks County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/grand-forks-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.