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Tornado in Burke County, North Dakota
28 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Burke County, North Dakota, has 28 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 15 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 16 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 9 events against 12 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.6% of the 1,799 tornado events recorded in North Dakota; its 2.5 per 100 square miles compares with 2.6 statewide.
By rating: 19 at (E)F0, 5 at (E)F1, 1 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with North Dakota
| Measure | Burke County | North Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 28 | 1,799 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 129.7 | 23.2 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 29 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | July | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
0Jun
5Jul
16Aug
6Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 28 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2010 | Tornado | EF3 | $700K | $150K | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $185K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1978 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1977 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1977 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Burke County had?
28 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Burke County?
7 Jun 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Burke County?
The tornado of 12 Aug 2010, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $700K and crop damage at $150K.
How does Burke County compare with North Dakota for tornado?
2.5 events per 100 square miles against 2.6 statewide; the county holds 28 of the state's 1,799 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.