1,793
Recorded events
53
Counties affected
29
Direct deaths
$190.8M
Property damage
North Dakota tornado history: 1,793 recorded events across 53 counties between 1950 and 2025.
Decade by decade
North Dakota tornado history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 379 reported tornado events across North Dakota. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in North Dakota
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cass County | 109 | 13 | $36.7M | 1950–2025 |
| #2 | Grand Forks County | 92 | 1 | $50.4M | 1952–2025 |
| #3 | Barnes County | 66 | 0 | $5.2M | 1955–2025 |
| #4 | Richland County | 62 | 2 | $1.7M | 1952–2025 |
| #5 | Stutsman County | 57 | 0 | $3.7M | 1952–2025 |
| #6 | Burleigh County | 57 | 1 | $1.3M | 1951–2025 |
| #7 | Ward County | 55 | 1 | $2.0M | 1954–2010 |
| #8 | Walsh County | 54 | 0 | $585K | 1960–2025 |
| #9 | Morton County | 54 | 2 | $3.6M | 1953–2025 |
| #10 | Ramsey County | 50 | 0 | $1.3M | 1965–2025 |
| #11 | Benson County | 49 | 0 | $1.2M | 1958–2020 |
| #12 | McLean County | 47 | 0 | $1.8M | 1955–2025 |
| #13 | Steele County | 44 | 0 | $1.4M | 1958–2022 |
| #14 | Pembina County | 43 | 0 | $1.6M | 1967–2025 |
| #15 | Cavalier County | 43 | 1 | $2.8M | 1959–2025 |
| #16 | McHenry County | 42 | 0 | $363K | 1965–2025 |
| #17 | Emmons County | 42 | 0 | $2.4M | 1953–2025 |
| #18 | Nelson County | 41 | 0 | $603K | 1976–2022 |
| #19 | LaMoure County | 39 | 0 | $1.9M | 1955–2025 |
| #20 | Griggs County | 37 | 0 | $3.8M | 1957–2025 |
| #21 | Dickey County | 35 | 0 | $1.0M | 1957–2020 |
| #22 | Ransom County | 34 | 0 | $5.9M | 1957–2025 |
| #23 | Bottineau County | 34 | 0 | $3.5M | 1955–2022 |
| #24 | Traill County | 34 | 0 | $2.0M | 1953–2025 |
| #25 | Towner County | 32 | 0 | $162K | 1965–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in North Dakota
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 1957 | Cass County | F5 | 10 | 103 |
| Jul 5, 1978 | Grant County | F4 | 5 | 35 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Cass County | EF4 | 3 | 0 |
| May 29, 1953 | Morton County | F5 | 2 | 20 |
| Jul 3, 1955 | Richland County | F4 | 2 | 19 |
| Jun 30, 1975 | Hettinger County | F4 | 1 | 4 |
| Jul 10, 2018 | McKenzie County | EF2 | 1 | 28 |
| Jul 2, 1952 | Burleigh County | F4 | 1 | 25 |
| Jul 24, 1997 | Renville County | F2 | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 13, 2010 | Ward County | EF3 | 1 | 1 |