North Dakota Tornado Reclassified as EF-5, First in U.S. Since 2013

If you're into weather, and all that this year brought to North Dakota, you'll have something to talk about today! According to the Inforum, the EF-5 drought is officially over. For the first time in more than a decade, the National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-5 tornado in the United States. After additional surveys and detailed analysis, meteorologists at the NWS office in Grand Forks have upgraded the June 20, 2025, Enderlin, North Dakota tornado to the highest possible rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

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Enderlin Tornado Reaches EF-5 Strength, Tosses Train Cars Hundreds of Feet

The EF-5 designation means the tornado produced estimated maximum wind speeds exceeding 210 miles per hour. According to the NWS report, the violent storm struck near Enderlin during the same time as a train derailment south of town. Forensic wind damage analysis revealed that the tornado was powerful enough to tip over several fully-loaded grain hopper cars and loft tanker cars—one of which was thrown an astonishing 475.5 feet (145 meters).

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Meteorologists also found that radar data from the WSR-88D Doppler radar at KMVX confirmed the storm’s extreme intensity, correlating with EF-5-level wind speeds.

These Tornadoes Are Extremely Rare

EF-5 tornadoes are exceedingly rare, marking only the second in North Dakota’s recorded history and the first anywhere in the country since 2013, when the devastating Moore, Oklahoma tornado struck. Tornadoes of this magnitude are capable of sweeping away well-built homes, deforming steel structures, and tossing vehicles like toys.

This official upgrade not only underscores the Enderlin tornado’s destructive power but also highlights the ongoing efforts of NWS meteorologists and wind damage experts to refine post-storm assessments and ensure historical accuracy in severe weather records.