Tornado Risk in McLean County, ND
McLean County's tornado history, by the numbers
49 tornado tracks have crossed McLean County since 1955 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 1.6 years - the High band on this site's scale. That is the 87th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Within North Dakota alone, McLean County ranks 12 of 53 counties for tornado frequency.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in McLean County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 49 recorded tracks, 39 were weak (EF0-1) and 5 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
North Dakota does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a McLean County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
Tornado outbreaks routinely knock out power across North Dakota for days, separately from any single house getting hit. A portable battery bank keeps a fridge, phone chargers and a radio running through that gap - cheaper and faster to set up than a generator.
What McLean County's figure does not tell you
McLean County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. McLean County covers about 2,110 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. McLean County has about 9,845 residents.