On the night of June 20, 2025, a very large and extremely violent tornado moved through portions of Ransom and Cass Counties, in the U.S. state of North Dakota, impacting several rural farmsteads near the city of Enderlin. Part of a larger severe weather outbreak and derecho sequence across the northern Great Plains between June 19 and 22, the tornado, referred to as Enderlin Tornado #1 by the National Weather Service (NWS), was the first tornado to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale in the United States in 12 years. During its 16-minute lifespan, it achieved a peak width of just over one mile (1.6 km) wide, and tracked a total length of 12.1 miles (19.5 km), with wind speeds in excess of 210 mph (340 km/h). It killed three people, becoming the deadliest tornado to occur in North Dakota since the F4 tornado that struck the Grant County city of Elgin, in 1978.
The tornado was preliminarily rated EF3 with maximum wind speeds estimated at 160 mph (260 km/h). However, its rating was later upgraded to EF5 with maximum wind speeds estimated at >210 mph (340 km/h) in October following additional surveys and forensic damage analysis. The last tornado rated EF5 was in May 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. The Enderlin tornado also destroyed multiple farmhouses and obliterated a forest along the Maple River. Following the tornado outbreak, the governor of North Dakota declared a statewide disaster. Federal relief was approved in September but stalled amid the 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown. Locals and other organizations volunteered to help with the recovery efforts.
On June 15, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) on its Day 6 outlook forecasted that a shortwave, mid-level ridge would move into the upper Mississippi River Valley and remain over the region throughout June 20. Beneath the ridge, a moist and unstable airmass was expected to be in place from the lower to mid-Missouri River Valley, northeastward into the western Great Lakes region. Instability and deep-layer wind shear were sufficient for a localized severe weather threat, though uncertainties remained on where the greatest potential for convection was.
A seasonally strong mid-level trough was forecast to eject over the Northern Plains on June 20, which featured moderate upper-level divergence to promote lift and deep-layer shear. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Day 2 outlook mentioned that "a small area of uncapped and very unstable air mass, perhaps over northeast SD and southeast ND. Here, a conditional supercell and tornado risk will exist ... very large hail and tornadoes appear likely."
At 8:15 p.m. on June 20, the SPC noted that storms developing over eastern North Dakota, while potentially elevated, were entering a favorable environment to become surface-based and pose a greater risk for hazards of severe weather. These storms followed to the southwest of a lone supercell already producing large hail. As these storms moved towards the Red River, favorable low-level wind conditions were forecast to support an increased threat of tornadoes, albeit in a smaller and localized region. At this time, forecasters noted that tornadoes could be strong, with the most likely peak wind speeds from any tornado being 120–150 mph (190–240 km/h). A few tornadoes touched down before the Enderlin tornado, including an EF3 tornado near Spiritwood and two EF2 tornadoes near Valley City and Fort Ransom, respectively; both moved in a southeasterly direction towards the Enderlin area. The SPC released a mesoscale discussion concerning this with the potential for EF2/EF3–strength tornadoes to occur as a result.
The tornado initially touched down at 11:02 p.m. Central Daylight Time (UTC–5) along 58th Street SE, 3.8 miles (6.1 km) south of Enderlin in Ransom County. After snapping tree branches at EF0 intensity at its touchdown point, the tornado intensified and widened as it moved east-northeastward across County Road 55 through open fields. The tornado then impacted the ADM Edible Bean Specialties grain elevator facility at the corner of 136th Avenue SE and County Road 136 at EF2 strength, snapping large trees and destroying an outbuilding.
Peak intensity in Ransom County
The tornado then began a rapid intensification and widening phase as it turned northeastward. It reached EF5 intensity as it crossed a double-tracked section of CPKC's Elbow Lake Subdivision southeast of Enderlin, derailing numerous train cars on a stopped freight train. Five train cars were lofted, and 28 more were tipped over. The tornado also bent the railroad tracks and left them covered in dirt and debris. A home that was on the edge of the path sustained minor EF0 damage to its roof as well.
The tornado then turned north-northeastward, growing to its peak width of 1.05 miles (1.69 km). It blew over a cell tower that was anchored by four cables into the ground, completely scoured crop fields, and snapped large trees, debarking some of them. It also leveled an unoccupied farmhouse, shifted another house off its foundation, and damaged or destroyed outbuildings. Damage in this area was rated EF2 to EF3. The tornado then inflicted violent EF4 damage to trees as it moved along the Maple River and approached ND 46. An entire forest of trees along the river was leveled, with only stubs of the trees left behind. Severe debarking of trees was also noted, with some of them being "sandpapered," and some trees were lofted with the root ball attached, including one whose original location could not be determined.
Entrance into Cass County and dissipation
The violent tornado then crossed ND 46 into Cass County, and devastated two homesteads, with two deaths occurring in this area. The first farmhouse, along with a well-built detached garage nearby, was obliterated and swept away with all the debris scattered downwind of both structures. It was acknowledged that the tornado may have been even stronger at this location, but insufficient anchoring prevented a rating higher than mid-range EF4. The second property, located approximately 300 yd (270 m) to the west of the first along 140th Avenue SE, along with nearby outbuildings, was leveled. The tornado then crossed over the Maple River, leveling another swath of trees.
The tornado then turned due north and paralleled 140th Avenue SE, snapping trees and damaging crops at EF2 strength. It also caused EF1 damage as it crossed along 52nd Street SE, shattering the windows of a home and inflicting roof damage to a mobile home. The tornado then turned north-northwestward, leveling another farmhouse at high-end EF3 strength, and snapping numerous trees; one person was killed in the house. After snapping more trees at EF2 strength, the tornado turned northwestward and toppled four tall steel electrical transmission towers at low-end EF3 strength; it also snapped wooden power poles in this area as it crossed County Road 38. The tornado then quickly narrowed and weakened as it sharply looped back to the south along the southern end of the Utke Waterfowl Production Area, crossing County Road 16 twice, and snapping some additional hardwood tree trunks at EF2 strength before dissipating just west of the 50th Street SE and 138th Avenue SE intersection at 11:20 p.m. Central Daylight Time (UTC–5), approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Alice.
Overall, the tornado was on the ground for 16 minutes, had a path length of 12.10 miles (19.47 km), and reached a peak width of 1.05 miles (1.69 km). According to the Enderlin–Sheldon Fire Department, 10 homes sustained some form of damage from the storm. Shortly after the dissipation of the Enderlin tornado, a second large tornado formed just east of the first tornado's path at 11:22 p.m. CDT. Moving southeast, this second tornado caused EF2 damage to trees and outbuildings across a 6.82 miles (10.98 km) path before dissipating at 11:34 p.m. CDT.
Casualties and recovery efforts
Governor of North Dakota Kelly Armstrong declared a statewide disaster following the tornado, activating the state's "Emergency Operations Plan". On June 24, over 150 volunteers joined in a joint cleanup operation. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement sent disaster teams to Enderlin to aid in recovery efforts, and volunteers from the Northern Plains UAS Test Site deployed an Unmanned Aerial System to help residents find personal items that had been lost as a result of the tornado. North Bank set up a fund for victims of the tornado, and the Enderlin Fire Department assisted in initial clean-up efforts.