North Dakota Tornado Officially Rated EF5, Breaking 8-Year Drought
Minot, North Dakota – A devastating tornado that struck near Minot, North Dakota, on July 29, 2023, has been officially upgraded to EF5 status by the National Weather Service, ending an eight-year drought in the United states for tornadoes reaching the highest intensity rating. The upgrade, announced February 26, 2024, marks the first EF5 tornado confirmed since May 20, 2016, when a powerful storm ravaged Moore, Oklahoma.
The re-evaluation stems from a comprehensive review of damage surveys and advanced modeling techniques, revealing peak winds exceeding 200 mph. This finding is important because it highlights the potential for extreme tornado activity even outside of traditionally high-risk areas like the Great Plains. The upgrade also underscores evolving understandings of tornado intensity assessment, moving beyond solely wind speed estimates to incorporate the degree of structural damage inflicted.
For decades, tornado intensity was assessed using the Fujita (F) scale, which relied primarily on estimated wind speeds.In 2007, the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale was implemented, shifting the focus to the damage caused by the tornado as a more reliable indicator of wind intensity. This system considers the structural integrity of buildings, recognizing that better construction standards can result in less damage even with comparable wind speeds. A recent adjustment to the EF scale, lowering the wind speed threshold for EF5 classification to over 200 mph, further refined the assessment process.
Ironically, this change in methodology initially led to expectations of more EF5 designations. However, the emphasis on structural damage has had the opposite effect, downgrading many tornadoes previously classified as F5 under the older scale to EF4. The North dakota tornado’s upgrade demonstrates the power of the EF scale to accurately reflect the true destructive potential of these storms.
Building codes are continually updated, presenting an ongoing challenge to maintaining consistency in EF scale assessments. Despite this, the confirmation of the EF5 tornado in north Dakota serves as a critical reminder of the destructive force of nature and the importance of preparedness in all regions susceptible to severe weather.
[Image of artist painting American flag on tornado-damaged home in Moore, Oklahoma, July 2, 2013. Caption: Artist Scott LoBaido of Staten Island, New York, paints an American flag on the roof of a home damaged by a tornado, June 2, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty images)]
