263  
NOUS43 KBIS 180205  
PNSBIS  
NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-181415-  
 
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND  
905 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025 /805 PM MDT WED SEP 17 2025/  
 
...FIRST PRELIMINARY NWS DAMAGE SURVEY REPORT FOR THE SEPTEMBER  
14TH TORNADO EVENT...  
 
ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2025, AN OUTBREAK OF TORNADOES OCCURRED DURING  
THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. CURRENTLY AT LEAST 15  
CONFIRMED TORNADOES ARE KNOWN FROM THIS EVENT. NWS RECEIVED  
REPORTS OF DAMAGE DURING THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 14TH IN EMMONS  
COUNTY AND NEAR DENHOFF. A SURVEY TEAM WAS SENT SEPTEMBER 15TH AND  
FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN EF1 RATING NEAR MERCER, EF1 AND  
EF2 NEAR DENHOFF, AND EF2 IN EMMONS COUNTY NEAR BEAVER BAY  
RECREATION AREA. BELOW ARE THEIR RESULTS. ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS  
REPORT ARE KNOWN TRACKS OF OTHER REPORTED TORNADOES. OF NOTE,  
THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES REPORTED DURING THIS EVENT.  
 
NWS BISMARCK WOULD LIKE TO THANK SHERIDAN COUNTY EMERGENCY  
MANAGEMENT, SHERIDAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, EMMONS AND  
BURLEIGH COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND ALL WHO SENT US THEIR  
REPORTS.  
   
EMMONS COUNTY TORNADO  
 
RATING: EF2  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.25 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 02:08 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 2 NNE BEAVER BAY RECREATION AREA / EMMONS COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 46.2739 / -100.5239  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 02:24 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 3 SE CANNON BALL / EMMONS COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 46.3618 / -100.5306  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
NWS BISMARCK RECEIVED REPORT OF A BARN DESTROYED NEAR THE  
INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 1804 AND HIGHWAY 13, NEAR BEAVER BAY  
RECREATION AREA. A SURVEY TEAM WAS DISPATCHED AND FOUND GRASS AND  
CROP DAMAGE ON A ROAD SOUTH OF THE FARM PROPERTY. THIS WAS THE  
LIKELY START OF THE TORNADO. THE TORNADO THEN TRAVELED NORTHWEST  
WHERE IT DENTED IN THE SOUTH FACING SIDE OF A LARGE, AND MOSTLY  
EMPTY, GRAIN BIN. IT THEN PROCEEDED TO DESTROY AN 80 BY 124 FOOT  
POLE BARN TO THE NORTH. ON THIS BARN, A SMALL WALL WHERE A SIDE  
GARAGE DOOR REMAINED STANDING. INSIDE THE BARN, FARM EQUIPMENT WAS  
DAMAGED. THE SOUTH FACING DOOR TO THIS BARN WAS RESTING ON A  
COMBINE TRACTOR. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND  
SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AWAY. LARGE PIECES OF WOOD BOARDS FROM THE  
DESTROYED BUILDING WERE EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND INCLUDING PART OF A  
RAFTER. THERE WAS LIMITED TREE DAMAGE TO THE ROW OF TREES TO THE  
NORTH OF THIS PROPERTY. STORM CHASERS NOTED THIS TORNADO PROGRESSED  
NORTH BEFORE ROPING OUT.  
   
ARENA  
 
RATING: UNKNOWN  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: UNKNOWN  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.96 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 04:01 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 1 NW ARENA / BURLEIGH COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 47.1387 / -100.1763  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 04:12 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 3 N ARENA / BURLEIGH COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 47.1798 / -100.1584  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
STORM CHASERS REPORT TORNADO NEAR ARENA. TOWARDS THE END OF THIS  
TRACK, STORM CHASERS REPORT MULTIPLE VORTEX TORNADO. NO DAMAGE  
WAS REPORTED.  
   
WILTON  
 
RATING: UNKNOWN  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: UNKNOWN  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 5.35 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 04:09 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 5 SE WILTON / BURLEIGH COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 47.1107 / -100.6898  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 04:16 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 2 NE WILTON / MCLEAN COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 47.1749 / -100.7533  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
STORM CHASER REPORTED SEEING A TORNADO BEGIN SOUTHEAST OF WILTON  
AROUND 4:09 PM. NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM FOUND A TWISTED PIECE OF  
METAL IN A DITCH EAST OF WILTON. THERE WAS ALSO FLATTENED GRASS  
NEARBY THIS DEBRIS. IN A FIELD TO THE SOUTH OF THIS DEBRIS WAS A  
POTENTIAL TORNADO TRACK, ALTHOUGH IT COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED AS  
PERHAPS IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DRAINAGE CHANNEL FROM HEAVY RAINS.  
TIME OF TORNADO NEAR DEBRIS WAS ESTIMATED.  
   
DENHOFF  
 
RATING: EF2  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 112 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 18.01 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 04:29 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 11 NNE WING / BURLEIGH COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 47.305 / -100.2281  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 04:59 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 6 N DENHOFF / SHERIDAN COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 47.561 / -100.285  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
NWS RECEIVED DAMAGE REPORTS NEAR DENHOFF. A SURVEY TEAM WAS SENT  
TO ASSESS AND HERE ARE THEIR FINDINGS. AT 4:29 PM CDT STORM  
CHASERS REPORTED A TORNADO STARTING ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTH OF  
DENHOFF. WHEN THE TORNADO REACHED ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF DENHOFF,  
IT DESTROYED A 30 BY 60 FOOT POLE BARN. A NEARBY BARN HAD TWO  
SKYLIGHTS TORN OFF THE ROOF. ANOTHER NEARBY BUILDING HAD SOME  
MINOR DAMAGE. AT THIS SAME PROPERTY, A DOUBLE WIDE MOBILE HOME  
PROPPED UP ON A BASEMENT HAD THE ROOF COMPLETELY TORN OFF AND  
BLOWN TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE HOME. THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THIS  
MOBILE HOME WAS ALSO MISSING A WALL. A CAR PARKED SOME DISTANCE  
WAS PICKED UP AND SET DOWN NEAR THE MOBILE HOME. DEBRIS WAS  
SCATTERED EVERYWHERE AT THIS PROPERTY AND THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL  
TREE DAMAGE, MOSTLY SNAPPED BRANCHES. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED  
NORTH. ABOUT A MILE SOUTH OF DENHOFF A SINGLE WIDE MOBILE HOME WAS  
FLIPPED. THERE WAS ALSO DEBRIS SCATTERED UP TO A QUARTER MILE AWAY  
FROM THIS PROPERTY. NOTICEABLE TREE DAMAGE AS WELL. SOME HAYBALES  
ALSO REPORTED DAMAGED. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED WEST AND NORTH  
OF DENHOFF. NEAR A GRAVEL PIT THERE WAS MORE HAYBALE AND TREE  
DAMAGE. SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES THEN EXPERIENCE DAMAGE FROM 2 TO  
5 MILES NORTH OF DENHOFF. THERE WAS HAYBALE DAMAGE AND HAY  
EMBEDDED IN A ROAD SIGN'S WOOD POST NORTH OF DENHOFF. ROOF PANELS  
WERE MISSING FROM A FARM OUTBUILDING NORTH OF THIS ROAD SIGN.  
NORTH OF THIS, ANOTHER PROPERTY HAD MISSING SKYLIGHTS ON A FARM  
BUILDING, DAMAGE TO A SMALL GRAIN BIN, AND A KID'S WOODEN PLAY  
AREA DESTROYED. MULTIPLE AREAS OF TREE DAMAGE WERE ALSO SEEN NORTH  
OF DENHOFF BY NWS SURVEY TEAM. THE TORNADO WAS THEN ESTIMATED TO  
END 5 TO 6 MILES NORTH OF DENHOFF. NO INJURIES REPORTED. OF NOTE,  
CHASERS AND THOSE NWS SURVEY TEAM TALKED TO MENTIONED MULTIPLE  
TIMES OF A SECOND TORNADO NEAR THE MAIN ONE. IT WAS REPORTED THIS  
TORNADO AT ONE POINT CROSSED A LAKE AND PULLED UP WATER. NWS WILL  
LOOK INTO CONFIRMING THIS TORNADO AND ITS PATH.  
   
MERCER  
 
RATING: EF1  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 13.03 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 04:53 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 3 SE MERCER / SHERIDAN COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 47.4607 / -100.6653  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 05:31 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 8 N MERCER / MCLEAN COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 47.6133 / -100.7165  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
STORM CHASER SHARED VIDEO OF A TORNADO TOUCHING DOWN SOUTHEAST OF  
MERCER. THIS WAS LIKELY THE START OF A DAMAGING TORNADO. FROM HERE  
THE TORNADO MOVED TOWARDS THE CITY OF MERCER. NWS SURVEY TEAM  
FOUND DAMAGE AT A FARM JUST WEST OF MERCER. OCCUPANTS WERE HOME AT  
THE TIME, AND NOTED A LACK OF A LOUD ROAR LIKE IN A PREVIOUSLY  
EXPERIENCED TORNADO. THE TORNADO DAMAGED A HIGH NUMBER OF TREES ON  
THE PROPERTY WITH MANY BRANCHES AND TREES SNAPPED, AND A LARGE  
TREE UPROOTED. FROM THERE THE TORNADO PARTIALLY DESTROYED A POLE  
BARN BUILDING. THE SOUTH FACING HALF OF BUILDING WAS MISSING, WITH  
THE RAFTERS OF THIS HALF ALSO RIPPED OFF. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED ALL  
OVER AND UP TO A QUARTER MILE AWAY. LARGE PIECES OF WOOD WERE  
EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND IN THE DEBRIS FIELD. ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE  
OF THE BUILDING, SEVERAL LARGE SUPPORT BEAMS BURIED ABOUT 5 DEEP  
WERE PULLED OUT. FROM THERE THE TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 200,  
DAMAGING TREES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. IT THEN PROCEEDED  
NORTH AND DESTROYED AN UNANCHORED AND UNOCCUPIED MOBILE HOME ON  
WHEELS BEING STORED ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF MERCER. THIS SAME  
PROPERTY HAD A SECURITY CAMERA VIDEO OF THE TORNADO. RADAR MAY  
HAVE ALSO SHOWN A DEBRIS SIGNATURE AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THIS  
DAMAGE. THE TORNADO THEN ENDED SHORTLY NORTH OF THIS MOBILE HOME  
DAMAGE AS REPORTED BY STORM CHASERS.  
   
BUTTE  
 
RATING: UNKNOWN  
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: UNKNOWN  
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 7.02 MILES  
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: UNKNOWN  
FATALITIES: 0  
INJURIES: 0  
 
START DATE: 09/14/2025  
START TIME: 05:59 PM CDT  
START LOCATION: 6 S BUTTE / MCLEAN COUNTY / ND  
START LAT/LON: 47.751 / -100.68  
 
END DATE: 09/14/2025  
END TIME: 06:14 PM CDT  
END LOCATION: 1 NNE BUTTE / MCHENRY COUNTY / ND  
END LAT/LON: 47.8502 / -100.6596  
 
SURVEY SUMMARY:  
AT AROUND 5:59 PM CDT STORM CHASERS REPORTED A LARGE WEDGE  
TORNADO BEGINNING ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF BUTTE. STORM CHASERS  
TRACKED THIS TORNADO TO JUST WEST THEN NORTH OF BUTTE. AT  
AROUND 6:11 PM STORM CHASERS STOPPED IN BUTTE FOR GAS AND  
RECORDED THE OUTER EDGE OF THE TORNADO MOVED OVER THEM. SOME  
DEBRIS WAS SEEN BLOWN IN THIS VIDEO. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS REPORTED  
WITH THIS TORNADO. TORNADO WAS REPORTED TO END NORTH OF BUTTE  
AROUND 6:14 PM CDT.  
 
 
 
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE  
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:  
 
EF0.....65 TO 85 MPH  
EF1.....86 TO 110 MPH  
EF2.....111 TO 135 MPH  
EF3.....136 TO 165 MPH  
EF4.....166 TO 200 MPH  
EF5.....>200 MPH  
 
NOTE:  
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO  
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN  
NWS STORM DATA.  
 
 
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