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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