NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Garrison, ND
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Garrison, North Dakota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 42
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Garrison
The highest rating among the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 18, 1956, came within 23 miles. Of the 42, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on July 20, 2020. Of the 37 North Dakota cities on this site, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Garrison. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1962, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 37 North Dakota cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Garrison.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Garrison
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s3
- 2000s6
- 1990s9
- 1980s6
- 1970s9
- 1960s4
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 1956 | F3 | 23 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 5, 1956 | F3 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 24, 2006 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 2004 | F2 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1975 | F2 | 5 mi | 33.7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 13, 1954 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 2007 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 6, 2004 | F1 | 6 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 1993 | F1 | 13 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 17, 1986 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 25, 1983 | F1 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1983 | F1 | 11 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Garrison
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Garrison since 1962, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on August 24, 1983. The most recent report is from June 27, 2025. July has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Garrison
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Garrison, ND, 4 miles east of Garrison at 1,910 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 21°F and 2°F. June is the wettest at 3.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 0.5 inches; the year adds up to 17.8 inches over 39 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from July to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 186 nights a year. That 17.8 inches is more than at 7 of the 31 North Dakota stations used on this site (23%). Hazen, 25 miles south, has its own station (Beulah 1 W, ND): 16.8 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 2 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Feb | 25 | 5 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Mar | 37 | 17 | 0.7 | 2 |
| Apr | 53 | 29 | 1.3 | 4 |
| May | 66 | 41 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 74 | 51 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Jul | 81 | 56 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Aug | 81 | 54 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 54 | 32 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Nov | 38 | 19 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Dec | 25 | 7 | 0.7 | 1 |
| Year | 52 | 30 | 17.8 | 39 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Garrison, ND (1,910 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Garrison
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 62 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Garrison: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $624,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 7, 2026.
July 26, 2010: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Garrison — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The strong winds combined with large hail resulting in extensive damage in and around the city of Garrison. Damage was sustained to a building under construction west of Garrison, several trees being uprooted, a railroad crossing twisted off, and crop damage reported to fields south and southwest of Garrison.”
June 7, 2026: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Garrison — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Significant damage from strong thunderstorm wind gusts occurred in the Douglas Bay area. Photos included campers flipped, small outbuildings knocked over, and a farm outbuilding with moderate loss of roof panels.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
McLean County, which includes Garrison, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 9 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on September 1, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McLean County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes; Very Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.5 million a year, the 7th highest of 53 North Dakota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.6 million (28%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Garrison
- Hazen, ND25 mi
- Beulah, ND31 mi
- Minot, ND42 mi
- New Town, ND52 mi
- Minot Afb, ND54 mi
- Mandan, ND65 mi
- Stanley, ND65 mi
- Bismarck, ND67 mi
- Harvey, ND79 mi
- Watford City, ND80 mi
- Dickinson, ND80 mi
- Rugby, ND83 mi
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