Enderlin tornado rating upgraded to EF5

It’s been more than a decade since the United States last saw an EF5 tornado — the kind that leaves nothing standing and defies the imagination of even seasoned meteorologists. That changed this summer near Enderlin, North Dakota. After months of analysis, the National Weather Service confirmed what locals already knew: this was no ordinary storm. Winds strong enough to lift and hurl a train car nearly 500 feet marked the state’s first EF5 since Fargo’s infamous 1957 tornado.

Official News Release, National Weather Service

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks conducted additional surveys and worked extensively with wind damage experts to further investigate the June 20, 2025, Enderlin, ND tornado #1. The estimated maximum wind speed of the Enderlin, ND tornado #1 is greater than 210 mph and occurred during the time of the train derailment south of Enderlin, ND.

The analysis involved forensic damage wind speed estimates for tipping several fully loaded grain hopper cars and lofting of tanker cars, including one empty tanker car that was tossed about 475.7 ft (145 m). The maximum wind speed also correlates to the maximum strength on WSR-88D Storm-Relative Velocity data from KMVX.

Additional high-end damage indicators that have been reanalyzed and adjusted include damage to the trees near the Maple River east of Enderlin and damage to farmstead #2 on Hwy 46. Further analysis of the trees surrounding the Maple River shows extensive tree damage throughout the entire river valley, with only stubs of large branches or trunks remaining and debarking with a “sandpapering” effect prevalent. Trees with attached root ball displacements were noted, including one where the original location could not be determined.

Wind damage expert analyses helped determine the damage at farmstead #2 to be complete destruction, with the foundation considered to be swept clean and debris swept downwind and scattered. However, issues surrounding the lack of proper anchoring will limit the overall rating in this area. Trees around the farmstead were also debarked and showed root ball displacements.

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks would like to thank Tim Marshall, Jim LaDue, Dr. Connell Miller, Dr. Greg Kopp, Dr. David Sills, and the entire Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University’s Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory team for their assistance.

Danielle Webster

Prairie Public News

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