142
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McKenzie County, North Dakota: 142 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,633 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McKenzie County, North Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McKenzie County is the 2010s, when 46 of the county's 142 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the McKenzie County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 34.4% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,633 for this hazard and #17 within North Dakota, putting it in the 48.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McKenzie County with 68 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2025 | GRASSY BUTTE | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2025 | GRASSY BUTTE | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2025 | CHARLSON | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | CHARLSON | 70 | $25K |
| Jul 29, 2025 | CHARLSON | 61 | $20K |
| Jul 29, 2025 | CHARLSON | 87 | $100K |
| Jul 27, 2025 | CHARBONNEAU | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 2025 | CHARLSON | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 15, 2024 | WATFORD CITY | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2024 | CHARLSON | 55 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McKenzie County
- Hail 222
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two trailers of around 50 feet in length were turned over one mile north of Watford City. One trailer was moved 150 feet. In the Watford City area, a pole barn was destroyed. The debris from the barn was lifted and thrown a thousand feet.
Three recreational vehicles in Tobacco Garden Bay sustained significant damage, with one being toppled. No injuries were reported. It was originally speculated that the damage was caused by a tornado. Local emergency management conducted a survey and determined the damage was caused by strong straight line winds.
A single wide manufactured home was blown off its cinder block foundation, displaced approximately 50 to 60 feet, and completely destroyed. A livestock trailer was flipped onto its roof, a metal storage container was shifted and tipped onto its side and a large dumpster was blown approximately 100 feet.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McKenzie County, North Dakota?
142 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McKenzie County between 1965 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McKenzie County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McKenzie County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McKenzie County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in McKenzie County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/mckenzie-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.