200
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$7.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McLean County, North Dakota: 200 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 109. That places the county #1,032 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McLean County, North Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McLean County is the 2010s, when 54 of the county's 200 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 McLean County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.0% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,032 for this hazard and #8 within North Dakota, putting it in the 67.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McLean County with 78 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2018 | MERCER | 70 | 1 | 4 | $250K |
| Jul 13, 2006 | COLEHARBOR | 109 | 0 | 2 | $3.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2025 | BENEDICT | 59 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | BENEDICT | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | BENEDICT | 65 | $5K |
| Jul 27, 2025 | BENEDICT | 54 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | MAX | 61 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | GARRISON | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | RAUB | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2024 | TURTLE LAKE | 62 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2024 | TURTLE LAKE | 70 | $30K |
| Aug 7, 2024 | TURTLE LAKE | 70 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from McLean County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
About 30 camping trailers at Heckers Lake and New Johns Lake were damaged and destroyed, with many overturned. Some of the campers came to rest in the water. One fatality occurred at Heckers Lake as an individual was outside his camper, and the camper blew over onto him. Four injuries were also reported in the camping areas|around New Johns and Heckers Lakes.
Significant damage occurred in White Shield and the surrounding area. Homes had vinyl siding damaged by wind driven hail. Vehicle windshields along with windows in homes were broken. In White Shield, four campers were blown over.
Thunderstorm wind gust speed was based on damage photos. Multiple roofs were damaged. Large trees were snapped and uprooted, and one tree landed on a car and crushed it. Various other vehicles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. A camper was overturned.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McLean County, North Dakota?
200 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McLean County between 1955 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McLean County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McLean County measured 109.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McLean 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 McLean County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/mclean-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.