Enderlin saw two tornadoes hit on Friday night, the first one was the strongest at a preliminary F3
Barnes County also had two tornadoes, both have a preliminary rating of EF2
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) One of the two Enderlin, North Dakota tornadoes has been rated a preliminary EF3 by the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.
The first tornado began 3 miles south of Enderlin and tracked to the northeast across Highway 46 before it weakened and dissipated.
It was on the ground for 12 miles.
Peak winds are estimated to be around 160 miles per hour.
The second tornado developed from the same supercell thunderstorm about 4 miles northeast of Enderlin and tracked to the southeast crossing Highway 46.
It was on the ground for around 8 miles and has a preliminary rating of an EF1, not as strong as the first tornado.
“We send out a storm survey team, which we did here on Saturday to go down to the Enderlin area to observe the damage indicators and everything related to it. Preliminary right now it’s EF3,” said Jacob Spender, a NWS Meteorologist.
They say the tornadoes derailed several train cars, a cell phone tower was toppled, crops destroyed, farm houses and buildings were destroyed, steel electrical transmission towers were bent.
The storms are to blame for the deaths of three people in rural Enderlin: 73-year-old Michael Dehn, 73-year-old Katherine Pfaff-Dehn and 89-year-old Marcario Lucio.
Barnes County also say two tornadoes Friday night and the weather service crews have given them both a preliminary EF2 rating.
The first tornado developed in far eastern Stutsman County near Spiritwood and tracked northeast missing Urbana in Barnes County to the northwest.
It caused damage to two houses about one mile apart before it dissipated.
The second tornado developed in central Barnes County about 5 miles southwest of Valley City and moved southeast.
It damaged several houses and trees as it continued over a ridge crossing the Sheyenne River impacting several more houses before lifting three miles south of Valley City.
