1957 — June 20, Supercell Thunderstorm, Tornadoes, Fargo, ND F5 (12), SD (1) — 13
–13 Blanchard.[1]
–13 Peihl. “1957 Fargo Tornado…” Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County. 6-7-2011.
–13 National Weather Service. Grand Forks, ND WFO. The Fargo Tornado of June 20, 1957.[2]
–12 Wikipedia. Fargo tornado. 4-30-2019 last edit.[3]
–11 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1009.
–10 Fargo, ND.
— 1 Rockham area, SD.
–10 AP. “Ten Die…Tornado Smashes…Fargo.” Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN, 6-21-1957, p. 1.
–6 Munson family children, 1 to 16 years old.[4]
–1 Unidentified young girl found dead in ruins of a home. (Mary Udahl, about 8).[5]
–1 Don Tilgen, 26.
–2 Unnamed man and woman. (Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Udahl, about 50.)[6]
–10 Levine, Mark. F5. 2007, p. 94.[7]
Narrative Information
Grazulis: “ND-MN JUN 20, 1957 1828 10k 103inj 400y 9m F5. CASS, ND /CLAY,MN — This tornado cut a swath through Fargo, North Dakota that was five-city-blocks-wide and 20- blocks long. Over 1300 homes were damaged or destroyed, with many leveled and some completely swept away. The Fargo tornado was the third member of a tornado family. As plotted by Dr. Fujita, this tornado touched down about 3m W of Fargo, and moved in an erratic path that was generally to the E and NE. The funnel dissipated 3m NNE of Moorhead, Minnesota. The tornado devastated the newest section of Fargo, the NW part. Six children were killed in one family…
“SD JUN 20, 1957 2100 1k O inj y 15m F2. FAULK/SPINK — Moved ENE from near Rockham to near Athol and Ashton. One person was killed as a mobile home was destroyed near the start of the path. Four barns were destroyed and one home was unroofed.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1009.)
Kellenbenz: “The F5 tornado that struck Fargo, ND on the evening of June 20, 1957 was a historic event in meteorological history. The tornado also changed the lives of many people living in Fargo 50 years ago. This tornado would be studied by Dr. Ted Fujita, who would later go on to create the Fujita damage scale. Dr. Fujita would also coin the terms wall cloud, tail cloud and collar cloud from photogram metric work done by analyzing around 200 photos from the Fargo tornado.
“June 20, 1957 was a very muggy day in Fargo, and Ray Jensen, the warning meteorologist on duty at the Weather Bureau office in Fargo, felt that there would be thunderstorms that day, and he was right.
“50 years later, the day of June 20, 2007 dawned with plenty of sunshine and low humidity. The day would turn out to be beautiful, with little wind, abundant sunshine, and a high of 82 with very few mosquitoes at Island Park for the Survivor’s picnic. Many would get acquainted once again on this day, and many would meet for the first time to talk about the Fargo ’57 tornado.
“The memorial service at Madison Elementary School at 10 am was very special, and the mayor of Fargo, Dennis Walaker, eloquently captured the moment in his speech, which was very heartfelt. His words honored those who lost their lives 50 years ago, and to the survivors who made it through the most devastating tornado in North Dakota ’s history. The pastor of Golden Ridge Lutheran Church , Mathew Short, gave the invocation and spoke of how his church rebuilt with a spirit that was typical throughout Fargo after the tornado struck. Recovery support also came from all over, including the Mennonites from Manitoba who helped Fargo in the rebuilding process, and words were said by John Wiens from the Mennonite Disaster Services in Manitoba .
“Roses were presented to all those who lost family members. Mercedes Munson-Erickson was seated in the first row, and received 6 roses for the children that she lost on that fateful day on June 20, 1957. She was very appreciative of all the support and work that went into the Fargo ’57 Commemoration, and sent the National Weather Service a thank you note to show her appreciation….
“I witnessed a reunion at the service that was remarkable. I was speaking with a nurse who was working the night of the tornado. She was wondering if Jon Davenport, the “miracle baby”, was at the memorial service. She was the one who treated Jon after he was lifted from his father’s (Jerry Davenport) arms. I had spoken with Jon earlier that morning, and I brought her over to Jon. They embraced and she explained to him that the last time she saw him, he was 7 months old. Dr. Ev Duthoy operated on Jon that night as well, and he was there and also was reunited with Jon.
“The weather luncheon at the NDSU Alumni Center from noon-3 pm was a gathering to reflect on the Fargo ’57 tornado, and to look at the science involved in wind damage estimates and forecasting severe thunderstorms. The audience consisted of the general public, NWS meteorologists, TV meteorologists, and faculty from NDSU. There were about 75 people there, and all talks were warmly received. Four meteorologists spoke, including Dr. Ray E. Jensen, who was the warning meteorologist on duty the night of the Fargo ’57 tornado. He issued a tornado warning 1 hour and 3 minutes before the tornado struck Fargo. This is truly remarkable for 1957. Even present day tornado warnings rarely, if ever, have 1 hour or more of lead time. He is to be commended for saving countless lives 50 years ago. Dave Kellenbenz, Senior Meteorologist at the NWS in Grand Forks, spoke about re-constructing the Fargo tornado using weather parameters that meteorologists use today to forecast tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms. Greg Gust, Warning and Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Grand Forks spoke about Dr. Ted Fujita and how the tornado damage scale has evolved through the years. Lastly, Dr. Joe Schaefer, Director of the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, spoke about the significance of the Fargo tornadoes and the many severe weather phrases that were coined from the cloud features seen in the photographs of the Fargo tornado.
“The public picnic at Island Park from 5-8 pm was designed to assemble all survivors who wished to interact and reflect. There was a tent and picnic tables set up to accomplish this, along with a booth for the NWS where we distributed literature and brochures. There were 51 survivors that signed in. However, there were likely additional survivors who did not sign in. Some incredible stories were exchanged and it gave the survivors an opportunity to interact and relive a day they will never forget. One lady was born at 630 pm in Fargo, and she was there to explain how she was the “tornado” baby. Another lady relayed a story how she huddled in a basement in the Golden Ridge area with about 15 people, since there were only a handful of basements in that area. Her story was incredible. She explained how the entire house was swept away, but everyone in the basement survived, even though they were covered with some debris. She said the sound of the tornado was piercing, and something that she will never forget.
“In talking with most survivors, I found that they all appreciated all the commemoration activities. Many even said that it made them feel at peace to be able to talk with others who had gone through such a trying time in their lives. Many were children back in 1957, but they all had vivid memories of that day and I believe that talking through these memories placed a positive light on a tough time for them and the city of Fargo….” (Kellenbenz. “Reflections of the Fargo 57 Commemoration Events in Fargo June 20, 2007.”)
National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Grand Forks, ND: “On the evening of June 20, 1957, around 730 pm, an F5 tornado moved into the Golden Ridge area of Fargo, North Dakota. The tornado killed 13 people (the 13th victim died in 1964 from injuries sustained from tornado), injured more than 100, and destroying or badly damaging over 1,300 homes. The Golden Ridge area sustained the most damage along 8th Ave North…The tornado track proceeded across north Fargo, just clipped the southeast corner of the present day NDSU campus, then continued northeastward, crossing the Red River of the North, and eventually dissipating north of Moorhead, Minnesota.
“The path of the Fargo tornado was 9 miles long and up to 700 feet wide. This F5 tornado was one in a family of 5 tornadoes, with an intermittent damage track of nearly 70 miles from Buffalo, North Dakota, to Dale, Minnesota. Meteorologists, today, would call this a long-lived cyclic supercell thunderstorm. The June 20, 1957, supercell persisted for at least 6 hours and produced tornadoes for more than 4 hours. Conventional radar data was not available at the time for this storm. However, an Air Defense Command (ADC) military radar site 205 miles south-southeast of Fargo measured the top of the thunderstorm between 65,000-75,000 feet. This was an extremely intense, tornadic supercell.
“Debris from Fargo was found north of Detroit Lakes near Rochert, Minnesota, (about 54 miles from Fargo) and surrounding areas. For its time, the tornado was photographed more than any other, with detailed film footage as well. Many people from north Fargo evacuated the city before the tornado struck, knowing that the tornado was moving towards them. Warnings were issued by the U.S. Weather Bureau (now NOAA’s National Weather Service) and broadcast by local television and radio stations.
“The Fargo tornado and the damage it produced was studied by Dr T. Theodore Fujita from the University of Chicago. His groundbreaking paper, published in 1960, provided a detailed analysis of the event and introduced much of the tornado-related terminology still in use today. Dr. Fujita would later quantify tornado damage into something called the F-Scale, which he developed in 1971. Using his scale, the Fargo Tornado damage was then rated as F5….” (National Weather Service. Grand Forks, ND WFO. The Fargo Tornado of June 20, 1957.)
Peihl: “The 1957 Fargo tornado was one of the most memorable local events of the 1950s. The F5 twister damaged or destroyed 1500 homes, caused between 10 and 20 million dollars in damage (more like 75 to 150 million today) and killed 13 people, including six children from one family and injured more than one hundred. It was certainly the deadliest disaster in the city’s history.” (Peihl. “1957 Fargo Tornado…” Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County, 6-7- 2011.)
Newspaper
June 21: “Fargo, N.D. (AP) — A giant tornado, striking from a lethal cloud towering more than 10 miles high, smashed through 100 blocks of a Fargo residential area Thursday night, killing 10 persons–six of them children in one family. Damage was estimated at 15 million dollars. At least 85 persons were injured, some critically.
“The massive, black funnel lashed a swath of devastation 20 blocks long and five wide. Mayor Herschel Lashkowitz made the damage estimate. He said 500 homes, a high school and four churches were destroyed and that many other buildings and vehicles were damaged. The mayor said he was asking federal aid to provide housing for 2,000 persons made homeless by the storm.
“The dead included six children of the Gerald Munson family. They ranged in age from one to 16. The mother was hospitalized. One of the Munson children, Louis Ann, 2, died of injuries early this morning. The body of a young girl, unidentified, was found later by searchers probing ruins of a home. The other dead were three adults — two men and a woman. At least three persons, two of them children, were listed as missing. One of the adult dead was identified as Don Titgen, 26.
“Confusion arose over identification of two others. The coroner listed one victim as Mrs. Max Kankelfitz, about 56, and the body of a man, tentatively as that of her husband, also about 56. However, relatives of Max Kankelfitz in Minneapolis, maintained they had talked with him by telephone Thursday night [20th] and that he reported all members of the family were safe. The coroner said identification was made by a relative. Some bodies were mutilated.” (AP. “Ten Die, 86 Injured as Tornado Smashes 100 Blocks in Fargo.” Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN, 6-21-1957, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Ten Die, 86 Injured as Tornado Smashes 100 Blocks in Fargo.” Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN, 6-21-1957, p. 1. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brainerd-daily-dispatch-jun-21-1957-p-1/
Billings Gazette, MT. “Fargo Tornado” (continued from page 1). 6-22-1957, p. 5. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/billings-gazette-jun-22-1957-p-5/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
Kellenbenz, Dave. “Reflections of the Fargo 57 Commemoration Events in Fargo June 20, 2007.” National Weather Service, Grand Forks, ND Weather Forecast Office, 8-10-2007. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://www.weather.gov/fgf/fargo57tornado
Levine, Mark. F5: Devastation, Survival, and the Most Violent Tornado Outbreak of the Twentieth Century. New York: Miramax Books, 2007.
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Grand Forks, ND. The Fargo Tornado of June 20, 1957. NWS, NOAA. Accessed at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fgf/?n=fargojune1957f5
Peihl, Mark (Archivist). “1957 Fargo Tornado: the Clay County Story.” Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County. 6-7-2011. Accessed 9-18-2011 at: http://hcscc.areavoices.com/2011/06/07/1957-fargo-tornado-%E2%80%93-the-clay-county-story/
United Press. “Ten Killed in Thursday Storm.” Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 6-23-1957, p. 1. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kalispell-daily-inter-lake-jun-23-1957-p-1/
Wikipedia. Fargo tornado. 4-30-2019 last edit. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fargo_tornado
Additional Reading
Fujita, Tetsuya. A Detailed Analysis of the Fargo Tornadoes of June 20, 1957 (Research Paper No. 42). Washington DC: Weather Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, December 1960, 75 pages. Accessed 5-16-2019 at: https://swco-ir.tdl.org/handle/10605/262102
[1] As noted below ten people died at Fargo at the time, two of the Fargo injured died from injuries later, and one person was killed on June 20 by a tornado in South Dakota, for a total of thirteen.
[2] “…the 13th victim died in 1964 from injuries sustained from tornado…”
[3] Notes ten died at the time and two died later from injuries.
[4] Darwin, 12; Bradley, 10; Phyllis, 16; Jeanette, 5; Lois, 2, and Mary, 1. (Billings Gazette, MT. “Fargo Tornado” (continued from page 1). 6-22-1957, p. 5.) Notes a seventh Munson child, Leroy, 14, “escaped injury.” Notes the mother was at work and unharmed. The father was a truck driver and was 300 miles west in Bismarck, and did not find out about the deaths of his children until he saw a newspaper the next morning.
[5] United Press. “Ten Killed in Thursday Storm.” Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 6-23-1957, p. 1.
[6] Billings Gazette, MT. “Fargo Tornado” (continued from page 1). 6-22-1957, p. 5.
[7] “…in the early evening of June 20, 1957, the city of Fargo, North Dakota, was struck by an immense tornado…. Warnings had two effects. First, residents had time to scramble for shelter, and although the storm pounded 1,300 homes, only ten lives were lost, including six within one family….”