Weather service upgrades deadly tornado in North Dakota to an EF5, the nation’s first in 12 years Science Oct 6, 2025 4:58 PM EDT

A deadly tornado that tore across southeastern North Dakota this summer has been upgraded to an EF5 with winds topping 200 mph (322 kph), the strongest classification of tornado and the first on American soil in a dozen years, meteorologists said Monday.

The June 20 twister in Enderlin killed three people and caused significant damage. At its largest, the tornado was 1.05 miles wide (1.7 kilometers) and carved a path across the prairie for just over 12 miles (19 kilometers). Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks estimated the tornado’s winds reached 210 mph (338 kph), according to the newly released analysis.

Grow your min

See Full Page