TornadoLookup

Home / North Dakota / Stutsman

F4 tornado in Stutsman County, North Dakota

Tornado August 11, 2002 · Stutsman County, North Dakota

F4
Rating
1.0 mi
Path length
300 yd
Path width
$650K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 300 yards (0.17 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

The tornado formed 5 miles north of Medina, over open country, traveling slowly to the north...northeast. One farmstead was totally destroyed and the second farmstead suffered moderate damage. No injuries were reported but a family pet was killed.Other damage reported was a 9 ton grain truck moved 250 feet and destroyed, three other vehicles moved 150 to 250 feetand heavily damaged, and a farm tractor picked up and laid on top a farm pickup truck. Also destroyed were 5 transmissiontowers with a cost replacement of $200 thousand. The tornado was rated by National Weather Service Storm Survey Team.

Began near Medina (46.9500, -99.3000).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5310099. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.