62
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$1.7M
Property damage
Tornado in Richland County, North Dakota: 62 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #221 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Richland County, North Dakota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Richland County is the 2000s, when 13 of the county's 62 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 Richland County archive, tornado makes up 8.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #221 for this hazard and #4 within North Dakota, putting it in the 92.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Richland County with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-07-02 | EF4 | 9.1 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-08-07 | EF4 | 5.0 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-07-01 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-05 | EF3 | 5.2 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-07-01 | EF3 | 0.5 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-30 | EF2 | 4.3 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-08 | EF2 | 26.9 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-08-25 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1953-05-29 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-08-21 | EF1 | 1.8 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 1955 | F4 | 2 | 19 | $250K | |
| May 5, 1964 | F3 | 0 | 11 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2025 | WYNDMERE | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2025 | LA MARS | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2024 | COLFAX KURUC ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| May 24, 2024 | WALCOTT | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2023 | STILES | EFU | $0 |
| May 13, 2022 | LA MARS | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 9, 2021 | STILES | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2019 | MATHEWS | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2019 | WALCOTT | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 2015 | SONORA | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Richland County
- Hail 296
- Thunderstorm Wind 244
- Flash Flood 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado tracked north northeastward for roughly two miles before crossing into Cass County. The tornado was likely enshrouded in downburst winds and heavy rain. The tornado and accompanying winds knocked down numerous wooden power poles along its path and four steel t-bar high voltage towers. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.
70 trees were uprooted and twisted in different directions. The awnings of a home and a barn were destroyed by the tornado. Several radio towers were toppled. At a nearby farm, a large grain bin, house, and several other buildings were damaged.
This tornado touched down south of Tyler and tracked to the east for roughly 2.5 miles before crossing the Bois de Sioux River into Wilkin County, Minnesota. In Wilkin County, the tornado continued for another 2.5 miles and lifted about 650 pm CDT. The total track length was about 5 miles and peak winds were estimated at 175 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Richland County, North Dakota?
62 tornado events are recorded in Richland County between 1952 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Richland County?
The strongest tornado on record in Richland County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Richland 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 Richland County, North Dakota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-dakota/richland-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.