A tornado that struck Enderlin, North Dakota, in June 2025 has been upgraded to EF-5 status by the National Weather Service (NWS). The tornado produced winds exceeding 210 mph, making it the first EF-5 in the U.S. since 2013. Tragically, the storm killed three people and caused widespread destruction.
Initially measured at 160 mph and classified as EF-3, the tornado’s upgraded rating reflects new data collected over several months. The Enhanced Fujita Scale, which measures tornado strength, classifies EF-5 tornadoes as those with winds over 201 mph.
BREAKING: The EF-5 drought is officially over.
The National Weather Service has upgraded the June 20, 2025 Enderlin, North Dakota tornado to EF-5, the first confirmed since 2013’s Moore, OK event.
Wind speeds exceeded 210 mph, tossing loaded grain hoppers and even a tanker car… pic.twitter.com/OyQ6c2nQI4
— Ryan Hall, Y’all (@ryanhallyall) October 6, 2025
Destruction Captured in Chilling Footage
Videos resurfacing from the incident show the tornado’s devastating impact. One clip captured a train coach derailed and thrown around 500 feet from the tracks. Other footage shows uprooted trees, destroyed homes, and damaged public infrastructure, highlighting the tornado’s extreme power.
Why the Tornado Was Upgraded
The NWS analyzed the tornado’s path for four months before issuing the advisory on October 6. The statement read: “The estimated maximum wind speed of the Enderlin tornado is greater than 210 mph and occurred during the time of the train derailment south of Enderlin. The analysis involved forensic damage wind speed estimates for tipping several fully-loaded grain hopper cars and lofting of tanker cars, including one empty tanker car that was tossed about 475.7 feet (145 m).”
Melinda Beerends, chief meteorologist at the NWS office in Grand Forks, told CBS affiliate WCNC: “In the last kind of 12 years, there’s been several strong tornadoes that have come close, but there haven’t been known damage indicators at that time to support the EF5 rating. It’s hard sometimes to get tornadoes to hit something.”
Tornado Impact and Community Damage
The tornado remained on the ground for approximately 12 miles and reached a maximum width of 1.05 miles. Along with derailed trains, the tornado caused extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and electric lines. Winds exceeding 210 mph were powerful enough to toss an empty tanker car weighing 50,000 to 90,000 pounds nearly 500 feet.
The North Dakota tornado is now recognized as the first EF-5 tornado in the U.S. in 12 years, following the devastating Moore, Oklahoma, EF-5 storm in 2013 that killed 25 people.
How Tornadoes Are Measured
Meteorologists use the Enhanced Fujita Scale to rate tornadoes, from EF0 (winds under 85 mph) to EF5 (winds over 200 mph). Since the adoption of this scale in 2007, the United States has recorded ten EF-5 tornadoes, with the Enderlin storm now joining this list.
Looking Back: Historical Context
The 1999 Bridge-Creek Moore tornado in Oklahoma holds the record for fastest wind speeds at 321 mph. Compared to that, the Enderlin tornado’s 210+ mph winds are still among the most destructive and rare in recent history.
“In the last, kind of 12 years, there have been several strong tornadoes that have come close, but there have not been known damage indicators at that time to support the EF5 rating,” Melinda Beerends reiterated to The Hill.
