50
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Ramsey County, North Dakota: 50 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #372 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Ramsey County, North Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Ramsey County is the 1970s, when 16 of the county's 50 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 Ramsey County archive, tornado makes up 10.2% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #372 for this hazard and #10 within North Dakota, putting it in the 86.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for tornado in Ramsey County with 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-06-12 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-21 | EF2 | 8.9 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-06-21 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1966-08-05 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-09 | EF1 | 5.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2018-07-04 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-07-21 | EF1 | 1.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1985-06-14 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-07-15 | EF1 | 1.5 mi | 27 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-11 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 1966 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2025 | EDMORE | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 19, 2024 | SWEETWATER | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | FT TOTTEN STATION | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 4, 2018 | LAWTON | EF1 | $200K |
| Jun 10, 2017 | KEITH | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 2016 | SWEETWATER | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 4, 2016 | SWEETWATER | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2014 | DEVILS LAKE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2013 | STARKWEATHER | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2011 | DOYON | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Ramsey County
- Hail 219
- Thunderstorm Wind 176
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An old barn was peeled open and sections of its walls and roof were flung to the north. Timbers from the barn penetrated into a home located 80 yards to the north. A Davis wind sensor located just west of the main tornado path registered a 68 mph south wind followed by a rapid shift to a 66 mph west wind. One older power pole located a half mile north-northeast of the farmstead was also cracked. Peak winds were estimated at 105 mph.
This was the first of two tornadoes viewed and photographed by multiple storm chasers in the Sweetwater Lake area, in southern Freshwater and Morris townships. This tornado tracked over open fields and marshland. Peak winds were estimated at 75 mph.
This was the second of two tornadoes viewed and photographed by multiple storm chasers in the Sweetwater Lake area. This tornado tracked to the east-southeast over open fields and marshland. Peak winds were estimated at 75 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Ramsey County, North Dakota?
50 tornado events are recorded in Ramsey County between 1965 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Ramsey County?
The strongest tornado on record in Ramsey County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Ramsey 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 Ramsey County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/ramsey-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.