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NWS Upgrades Enderlin, N.D., Tornado to EF-5, First in U.S. Since 2013

Investigators reached the top rating after months of forensic damage analysis involving derailed railcars, a swept foundation and extreme tree destruction.

Homeowner Russell Shearer looks over the rubble of his destroyed home on May 24, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma.
A tornado that roared through part of eastern North Dakota in June and killed three people was upgraded to an EF5 with winds of 210 mph, the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, North Dakota, confirmed Monday.
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Overview

  • The National Weather Service determined estimated peak winds exceeded 210 mph in the June 20 storm near Enderlin.
  • Authorities confirmed three deaths linked to the tornado, according to the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
  • Wind forensics cited tipped fully loaded grain hopper cars and an empty tanker thrown about 475 feet as key indicators.
  • Survey findings documented debarked trees, uprooted trunks with root balls, and a farmstead east of town swept to its foundation.
  • The tornado carved a roughly mile-wide track across more than 12 miles in about 19 minutes and occurred during a broader derecho that produced 100-plus-mph gusts and a nearby train derailment.