Rare EF5 Tornado Ends Decade-Long Drought in North Dakota

In June 2025, a rare and devastating EF5 tornado struck eastern North Dakota, marking the first time such a powerful twister had been recorded in the United States in over a decade. The tornado, which roared through the area near Enderlin and Alice, was initially rated as an EF3 with winds of 160 mph. However, after further investigation by weather service meteorologists, the tornado was upgraded to an EF5, the highest level on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds exceeding 210 mph.

The violent tornado caused extensive damage, tossing an empty train car nearly 500 feet off the tracks and knocking over several fully loaded grain hopper cars. It also ripped large trees down to their stumps and completely destroyed one farmstead. The tornado's path stretched for nearly 20 minutes and 12 miles before dissipating.

The last time an EF5 tornado struck the United States was in May 2013, when a powerful twister devastated the city of Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people and injuring over 200. The lack of EF5 tornadoes in the decade since then has led some scientists to question whether the damage rating scale is accurately reflecting the true strength of these extreme weather events.

A study released in August 2025 argued that adjusting the definition of an EF5 tornado to 190 mph would result in a frequency more consistent with past decades. This ongoing debate over the tornado rating system is likely to continue as experts strive to better understand and prepare for these rare, but catastrophic, natural disasters.