Tornado (EF5) — Ransom, North Dakota

Event narrative (NOAA)

This large and violent tornado began with minor damage to a few branches about 3 miles SSW Enderlin but within 2.5 miles of the track, the tornado gained intensity and |significantly widened. While south of Highway 46, between 56th and 57th Street SE, the tornado derailed 33 train cars including 19 fully-loaded grain hopper cars and 14 empty tanker cars, mainly tipped from the track. Included in the derailed cars were one filled grain car (286,000 lbs) and four empty tanker cars (72,000 lbs) that were pulled into a field away from the track. One of the 4 tanker cars was tossed 600-1000 ft (183-305 m) from the track and an estimated 475.7 ft (145 m) from the distance of the previous tanker car it was attached to before being pulled off of the track; wheel sets detached near the point from

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