North Dakota tornado deaths
Deaths in Enderlin:
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Grand Forks confirmed that two of the deaths were attributed to a tornado that hit a home about three miles east of Enderlin in Cass County near the border with Ransom County.
NWS teams have assigned preliminary tornado ratings based on damage for three confirmed tornadoes:
- West of Valley City, North Dakota: at least EF-3
- South of Valley City, North Dakota: at least EF-2
- Enderlin, North Dakota area: at least EF-3
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports that two people were found dead at a home in rural Enderlin after a tornado hit the area.
A third person was then found dead by the Enderlin Fire Department.
The Associated Press reports that about 24,000 customers were without power in North Dakota.
The storm was part of a larger system that also dropped hail across the upper Midwest.
Storm damage in Minnesota
Extensive damage in Bemidji:
Beltrami County Emergency Management said that it issued a tornado warning for the southern part of the county, which includes Bemidji, just after midnight. However, no tornado sightings were reported in the area.
A national weather service team is in the Bemidji area, but has not yet provided any updates.
READ MORE: Severe storms cause damage in MN, leave people dead in North Dakota
Wind gusts of 106 mph were recorded at about 12:55 a.m. at the Bemidji Regional Airport.
Rain and flash flooding then left many vehicles stalled in downtown Bemidji.
No injuries have been reported, but widespread power outages and damaged infrastructure impacted many area residents.
Crews are also working to clear downed trees obstructing roadways.
Anyone needing assistance can go to the Sanford Convention Center at 1111 Events Center Drive NE and use the convention center entrance near The Tavern, not the arena entrance.
