Enderlin tornado upgraded to EF-5, first in the U.S. in over 12 years, North Dakota
The deadly Enderlin tornado, which struck Ransom County, North Dakota, on June 20, 2025, has been upgraded by the National Weather Service (NWS) to an EF-5 on October 6. This officially brought an end to the EF-5 drought, the longest period without an EF-5 tornado in the U.S. since records began in 1950.
Train derailed near Enderlin on June 20, 2025. Credit: Brian Emfinger
The tornado designated ND tornado #1 struck Enderlin, North Dakota, on June 20, causing at least 3 fatalities as it ripped through the region.
It also derailed a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) train as it crossed the area. According to the NWS office in Grand Forks, the twister had winds reaching over 338 km/h (210 mph) at the time of derailment.
The tornado completely destroyed a farmstead on Highway 46, sweeping away its entire foundation. Debris was carried and scattered downwind by the twister.
The NWS noted that the farmstead was not securely anchored to the ground, so the observed damage alone could not justify an EF-5 rating. However, when combined with other evidence, including the train derailments, the tornado’s EF-5 strength became clear.
The twister tipped over multiple fully loaded grain hopper cars and lifted several into the air. One empty tanker was tossed about 145 m (476 feet) from its original location.
Extensive tree damage was documented across the entire Maple River Valley. Numerous trees were completely debarked, a high-end indicator of an EF-5 tornado.
Debarking occurs when a tornado spins so fast that dust and debris act like sandpaper, stripping the surface of whatever they hit. This type of damage is typically observed only in EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes.
The NWS office used this data to estimate the wind speed needed to cause such damage, which allowed them to gauge the tornado’s strength.
Based on the survey results, the Enderlin tornado was upgraded from an EF-3 to an EF-5 tornado.
The Enderlin tornado touched down at around 23:02 CDT, approximately 5 km (3 miles) south of Enderlin, Ransom County. The tornado traversed a path of 19.4 km (12.1 miles) and had a width of 1.69 km (1.05 miles) at its peak.
The tornado finally lifted off the ground 19 minutes later, roughly 8 km (5 miles) south-southwest of Alice in Cass County.
The Enderlin tornado was the first EF-5 tornado to have occurred in the United States since May 20, 2013; when the Moore tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, claiming at least 24 lives.
This period of 4,414 days, often referred to as the “EF-5 drought” or the EF-5 gap, was the longest gap between EF-5 tornadoes since records began in 1950. Lasting for 12 years and 1 month, this gap completely shattered the previous record of eight years; from May 3, 1999 (Moore/Bridge Creek, Oklahoma) to May 4, 2007 (Greensburg, Kansas).
EF-5 tornadoes are rare, but they are devastating when they strike, often leaving behind an unimaginable trail of destruction.
The Enderlin tornado is now the 60th EF-5 tornado to have struck the United States since records began in 1950.
The Waco tornado was the deadliest in Texas history. The twister struck the city of Waco on May 11, 1953. In terms of fatalities, it tied with the second-deadliest, the Goliad tornado of 1902, which was classified as an F4 by the NWS based on available records from the time.
The tornado struck Waco shortly after 16:00 LT, touching down north of the town of Lorena and moving north-northeast toward Waco. On a radar screen at Texas A&M University, the tornadic storm developed a hook-shaped echo. Nearly 530 m (0.33 miles) wide, the massive F5 tornado crossed Waco on a path that ran almost south to north.
While both the Waco and the Goliad tornadoes claimed 114 lives, the Waco tornado injured 597 people, more than twice as many as the Goliad.
The Waco tornado destroyed around 600 homes and buildings and damaged over 1 000 more. It also destroyed or damaged more than 2 000 vehicles.
Damage records of the Goliad tornado are limited, as the U.S. did not maintain official tornado records before 1950. Most available information comes from old newspapers, surviving local documents, and eyewitness accounts from the time.
The tornado is believed to have touched down just before 16:00 LT near Berclair, about 24 km (15 miles) southwest of Goliad, before tracking northeast.
Estimated to have been about 200 m (0.12 miles) wide, the F4 tornado crossed the San Antonio River southwest of Goliad and moved into the town. Most of the deaths occurred in the western part of Goliad, where hundreds of buildings were destroyed.
References:
1 Public Information Statement Enderlin Tornado #1 Upgraded to EF-5 – NWS – October 6, 2025
2 A list of the top 10 worst tornadoes in Texas history – NWS – Accessed October 6, 2025
3 F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States – SPC – Accessed October 6, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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