When most people think of North Dakota, they picture endless wheat fields or maybe those brutal, bone-chilling winters. They don’t usually think of 200-mph winds that can literally erase a neighborhood from the map. But honestly, the North Dakota EF5 tornado history is some of the most intense in meteorological books. It’s rare, sure. But when it happens, it changes everything.
For a long time, the 1957 Fargo disaster was the "big one" everyone talked about. Then, just recently in June 2025, a monster hit Enderlin, ending a 12-year national drought of EF5-rated storms.
The Night Fargo Changed Forever
June 20, 1957. It was a Thursday. The air was heavy—the kind of muggy that makes your shirt stick to your back the second you step outside. Ray Jensen, the meteorologist on duty at the local Weather Bureau, knew something was up. He didn't have modern Dopplers. He just had his eyes and a few surface maps.
Around 6:28 PM, the sky basically turned inside out.
A massive, slow-moving wedge dropped near the Golden Ridge subdivision. This wasn't just a quick "spin-up." It was a violent, cyclic supercell. It hung around. Because it moved so slowly—sometimes only 10 miles per hour—it had more time to chew up anything in its path.
Why the 1957 Storm Matters to Science
You’ve probably heard of the Fujita Scale. Well, we basically have the 1957 Fargo storm to thank for it. Dr. Ted Fujita used over 200 photos of this specific tornado to develop his theories. Before this, we didn't really have words for things like "wall clouds" or "tail clouds."
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- The Path: 9 miles long through North Fargo.
- The Damage: Over 300 homes destroyed; some swept completely off their foundations.
- The Human Cost: 10 people died that night (later rising to 12).
- The Munson Family: One of the most heartbreaking stories involves the Munson family, who lost six children in the storm.
It’s hard to wrap your head around that kind of loss. Entire blocks were just... gone. Debris was later found 50 miles away in Minnesota.
The 2025 Enderlin Tornado: A Modern Monster
For over a decade, the United States went without a single EF5 rating. Then came June 20, 2025—exactly 68 years to the day after the Fargo storm. Talk about a creepy coincidence.
The Enderlin tornado wasn't just a "strong storm." It was a meat grinder. The National Weather Service in Grand Forks eventually clocked its winds at 210 mph.
Honestly, the damage indicators were what sealed the EF5 rating. It wasn't just about destroyed houses. The storm tossed fully loaded rail cars like they were toys. It toppled massive transmission towers that were built to withstand almost anything. One farmstead was wiped so clean that the only thing left was the concrete basement floor.
Three people lost their lives near Enderlin. It served as a violent reminder that even with all our modern radar and phone alerts, nature still holds the upper hand.
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Comparing the Violent Few
North Dakota has only seen three F5/EF5 tornadoes in recorded history. It's a small but terrifying list.
The first was in May 1953 at Fort Rice. That one leveled a large stone church and drove the pews four feet into the ground. People often forget about Fort Rice because it was so rural, but the sheer force needed to shove wooden pews into the earth like nails is staggering.
Then you have the 1957 Fargo storm. It hit a city. It was the most photographed tornado of its time, which is why it's the most famous.
Finally, the 2025 Enderlin storm. This one was over a mile wide at its peak. It broke the "EF5 drought" and proved that the High Plains are just as dangerous as "Tornado Alley" in Oklahoma or Kansas.
What People Get Wrong About These Storms
A lot of folks think you're safe if you're "too far north." That’s a myth.
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While the south gets more frequent tornadoes, the ones that hit the Dakotas can be absolute monsters because they feed on the intense temperature clashes of the early summer.
Another misconception? That you can "outrun" them in a car. Looking at the 1957 footage, the Fargo tornado looked slow, but its internal winds were over 200 mph. It threw cars hundreds of yards. If you're in a vehicle and a North Dakota EF5 tornado is bearing down, you aren't in a getaway car—you're in a metal coffin.
Staying Safe When the Sky Turns Green
We’ve come a long way since Ray Jensen was staring out a window in 1957. Today, we have high-resolution radar and wireless emergency alerts. But technology only works if you listen to it.
- Know your "Safe Place" now: Not when the sirens go off. If you don't have a basement, find an interior room on the lowest floor.
- Basements aren't 100%: In an EF5, even some basements can be dangerous if the house collapses into them. Get under a heavy workbench or a "storm snub" if you have one.
- The "Green Sky" is real: That eerie, bruised-looking sky is caused by light reflecting through massive amounts of hail and moisture. If you see it, the party's over. Get inside.
The reality of a North Dakota EF5 tornado is that it’s a low-probability, high-consequence event. You might go your whole life without seeing one. But as the people of Fargo in '57 and Enderlin in '25 found out, it only takes one afternoon to rewrite the history of a town.
Keep your weather radio battery-charged and your shoes near the cellar door. The prairie is beautiful, but it has teeth.
To better prepare for the next season, you should review your local county's emergency siren protocols and ensure your smartphone's "Government Alerts" are toggled on in the settings menu. Additionally, consider investing in a high-quality, impact-resistant helmet for everyone in your household to keep in your storm shelter; head trauma is the leading cause of death in violent tornadoes.