Enderlin Tornado Upgraded to EF-5: First in North Dakota Since 1957

FARGO, N.D. — The Enderlin tornado #1 from June 20, 2025, has been officially upgraded to an EF-5 by the National Weather Service (NWS) of Grand Forks. This decision follows a thorough review that included forensic damage assessments and wind speed estimates.

The initial rating for the tornado was an EF-4, with estimated peak winds reaching 180 mph. However, after further analysis, officials determined that the peak winds exceeded 210 mph. Evidence from the assessment revealed several fully-loaded grain hopper cars that had been overturned and an empty tanker car that was thrown approximately 475.5 feet.

Additional evaluations focused on damage to trees near the Maple River east of Enderlin, where root balls had been displaced. The NWS noted that the new wind estimate aligns more closely with storm-relative velocity data obtained from radar.

This marks the first EF-5 tornado rating in North Dakota since the Fargo Tornado in 1957 and the first of this magnitude in the U.S. since the devastating Moore tornado in Oklahoma in 2013. Tragically, the Enderlin tornado claimed the lives of three people.