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Tornado in Walsh County, North Dakota
54 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.
Walsh County, North Dakota, has 54 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 27 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 27 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 30 events against 12 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 3% of the 1,799 tornado events recorded in North Dakota; its 4.2 per 100 square miles compares with 2.6 statewide.
By rating: 31 at (E)F0, 18 at (E)F1, 2 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 3 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with North Dakota
| Measure | Walsh County | North Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 54 | 1,799 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.2 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 51.6 | 23.2 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 29 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
6Jun
27Jul
11Aug
10Sep
0Oct
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 54 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 Jul 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $2K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $4K | $25K | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | $50K | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $7K | $20K | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $10K | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $60K | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2005 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F2 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 1979 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1978 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1976 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1976 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1971 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 18 Aug 1968 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1968 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 1965 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1962 | Tornado | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1960 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Walsh County had?
54 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 Walsh County?
7 Jul 2025 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Walsh County?
The tornado of 26 Jun 2009, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $250K and crop damage at $50K.
How does Walsh County compare with North Dakota for tornado?
4.2 events per 100 square miles against 2.6 statewide; the county holds 54 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.