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North Dakota · County tornado history

Grand Forks County, North Dakota tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 82 tornadoes in Grand Forks County, North Dakota from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 2 of 53 counties in North Dakota with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on July 22, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
82
Since 2000
63
Strongest
EF4, June 17, 2010
Most recent
EF1, July 22, 2022
Peak month
June (42)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Grand Forks County

June has brought the most, 42 of 82. About 77% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 50
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 21
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Grand Forks County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 26, 2007 EF4 5 mi 1,400 yd 1 18
June 17, 2010 EF4 17 mi 150 yd 1
August 11, 1958 F3 0.1 mi 10 yd 2
August 26, 2007 EF3 6 mi 580 yd
July 9, 1952 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
June 30, 1955 F2 4.1 mi 77 yd
May 26, 1978 F2 0.5 mi 20 yd
August 26, 2007 EF2 5 mi 300 yd
June 17, 2010 EF2 7 mi 100 yd
August 10, 2010 EF2 0.9 mi 50 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Grand Forks County was an EF4 on August 26, 2007. It killed 1 person and injured 18 along its 5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 22, 2022 EF1 1.2 mi 150 yd
June 24, 2022 EF0 2.9 mi 100 yd
August 9, 2021 EF1 1.1 mi 150 yd
June 8, 2020 EF0 3 mi 150 yd
June 8, 2020 EF1 7 mi 250 yd
June 29, 2018 EF1 1.8 mi 200 yd
June 8, 2018 EF0 1 mi 100 yd
June 8, 2018 EF0 0.9 mi 100 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Grand Forks County as relatively low, with a score of 61 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.02 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,289,815 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Grand Forks County had?

82 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 63 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Grand Forks County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on July 22, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Grand Forks County?

An EF4 on June 17, 2010, with a 17-mile path.

When is tornado season in Grand Forks County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.