43
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$1.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Pembina County, North Dakota: 43 recorded events between 1967 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #537 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Pembina County, North Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Pembina County is the 2000s, when 23 of the county's 43 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 Pembina County archive, tornado makes up 9.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #537 for this hazard and #14 within North Dakota, putting it in the 81.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Pembina County with 17 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-06 | EF4 | 8.0 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-06-09 | EF2 | 18.0 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-19 | EF2 | 0.7 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-06-09 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-19 | EF1 | 5.3 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-03 | EF1 | 25.3 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-07-16 | EF1 | 4.0 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-07-16 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-26 | EF1 | 5.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-23 | EF1 | 2.5 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 1992 | F1 | 0 | 4 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | HENSEL | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 10, 2017 | MOUNTAIN | EF1 | $200K |
| Jul 19, 2016 | HALLSON | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 31, 2013 | CRYSTAL | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2011 | PEMBINA | EF0 | $100K |
| Jun 3, 2011 | CRYSTAL | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 2010 | CONCRETE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2008 | PITTSBURG | EF1 | $4K |
| Jul 17, 2008 | HAMILTON | EF1 | $5K |
| Jul 17, 2008 | LEROY | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Pembina County
- Hail 235
- Thunderstorm Wind 133
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down southeast of Mountain, where it damaged several farmsteads. One farm home was completely lifted up and tossed 100 yards. A combine was also picked up and thrown several hundred feet. A swather was picked up and wrapped around several trees. In the town of Mountain, numerous trees were knocked flat. 2 mobile homes were destroyed, the roof was torn off a house, and a garage was destroyed.
This tornado snapped trees in shelterbelts and demolished a pole shed at a farmstead. In addition, shingles and roofing materials were peeled from various buildings and a television antenna was bent over. Debris was spread downstream and over a wide arc to the north and northwest by the east-southeast moving storm. Peak winds were estimated at 110 mph.
This tornado tracked eastward for about two miles and appears to have lifted just before reaching the Red River. The tornado was likely wrapped in downburst winds and rain as it tracked across the north side of Pembina. Though wind and hail occurred over a broad area of Pembina and Pembina East townships, there was more extreme tree branch damage and evidence of a tornado track across the north side of town. Peak winds were estimated at 85 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Pembina County, North Dakota?
43 tornado events are recorded in Pembina County between 1967 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Pembina County?
The strongest tornado on record in Pembina County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Pembina 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
“Tornado in Pembina County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/pembina-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.