There were several injuries and considerable damage in north Bismarck. The longest tornado track in North Dakota was 47.5 miles. The greatest tornado path width was 6000 feet and it occurred in Bottineau county on June 26, 1986. From 1950 to 1997, Cass county reported the most tornadoes with 58 while Stutsman county came in second with 39 reports. The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but can range from stationary to 70 mph.
Most tornadoes move toward the northeast.
The most destructive tornado in North Dakota history occurred in Fargo during the evening of June 20, 1957. This tornado episode consisted of five different tornadoes, each taking its turn on the ground as the storm travelled 27.4 miles across Cass and into Clay counties. There were 10 fatalities and 103 injuries. Killer Tornadoes in North Dakota Statistics show eight out of every ten tornadoes in North Dakota have winds of less than 113 mph. However, from 1950 to 1995 our state has had 128 stronger tornadoes.