NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Watford City, 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 Watford City, North Dakota since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 17 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 17
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Watford City
The highest rating among the 17 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 9, 2018, came within 5 miles. Of the 17, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 6 each. The most recent tornado was on September 17, 2025. Of the 37 North Dakota cities on this site, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Watford City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1963, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 37 North Dakota cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Watford City.
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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Watford City
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s4
- 2000s1
- 1990s4
- 1980s4
- 1970s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2018 | EF2 | 5 mi | 0.53 mi | 1 / 28 |
| May 26, 2014 | EF2 | 9 mi | 0.46 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Jun 13, 1953 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1952 | F2 | 5 mi | 9.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1975 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2016 | EF0 | 7 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 2011 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 2001 | F0 | 11 mi | — | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1999 | F0 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 1996 | F0 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1990 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 18, 1990 | F0 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 17, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Watford City
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Watford City since 1963, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on July 13, 2013. The most recent report is from August 1, 2023. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Watford City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Watford City, ND, 4 miles southwest of Watford City at 2,170 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 22°F and 5°F. June is the wettest at 3.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 0.4 inches; the year adds up to 15.7 inches over 40 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 22 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 194 nights a year. Snowfall averages 50.4 inches a year, most of it in December. That 15.7 inches is more than at 2 of the 31 North Dakota stations used on this site (6%). New Town, 33 miles east, has its own station (Keene 3S, ND): 18.0 inches a year, 2.3 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 5 | 0.5 | 2 | 9.5 |
| Feb | 26 | 8 | 0.4 | 1 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 39 | 19 | 0.6 | 2 | 7.3 |
| Apr | 53 | 31 | 1.0 | 3 | 4.2 |
| May | 65 | 42 | 2.4 | 6 | 1.4 |
| Jun | 74 | 53 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 55 | 1.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 1.2 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 55 | 33 | 1.0 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Nov | 38 | 20 | 0.6 | 2 | 6.8 |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 0.6 | 2 | 10.1 |
| Year | 53 | 32 | 15.7 | 40 | 50.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Watford City, ND (2,170 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 Watford City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 33 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Watford City: 33 thunderstorm wind reports. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $407,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 83 mph, on July 24, 1997.
June 30, 2015: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Watford City — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Two trailers of around 50 feet in length were turned over one mile north of Watford City. One trailer was moved 150 feet.”
July 15, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Watford City — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Light to moderate damage to homes and business. Numerous uprooted trees and power lines.”
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
McKenzie County, which includes Watford City, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 fires, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds, on December 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McKenzie County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.7 million a year, the 15th highest of 53 North Dakota counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.6 million (22%), 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 Watford City
- New Town, ND33 mi
- Williston, ND34 mi
- Tioga, ND40 mi
- Sidney, MT47 mi
- Stanley, ND52 mi
- Dickinson, ND69 mi
- Garrison, ND80 mi
- Beulah, ND80 mi
- Hazen, ND84 mi
- Glendive, MT86 mi
- Poplar, MT92 mi
- Minot, ND93 mi
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