May 1-2, 2019 Tornado Outbreak of The Dakotas

On June 30, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Day 2 Enhanced Risk for parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. On the morning of May 1, it was upgraded to a Moderate Risk, including a 15% hatched area for tornadoes in Southeastern North Dakota, Northeastern South Dakota, and extreme Western Minnesota. During the early afternoon hours of May 1, two massive Supercell thunderstorms formed near Eagle Butte, South Dakota and were soon Tornado-Warned.

Notable Tornadoes (May 1)
26 tornadoes were reported on May 1; However 31 were confirmed.

Eagle Butte, South Dakota
The larger Supercell produced the first tornado of the outbreak, a large EF2 cone tornado that severely damaged the farmstead that it is nearing in the photograph on the right. It swept away a barn and a chicken coop and lifted the roof off of a farmhouse. Very minor ground-scouring occurred. 2 injuries.

Gettysburg, South Dakota
The smaller Supercell moved Southeast toward Gettysburg from Eagle Butte and produced a handful of brief EF1's before dropping a massive, mile wide EF4 in the town of Gettysburg. Neighborhoods were almost completely leveled and it completely destroyed the Gettysburg Collision Center. 5 injuries occurred here and debris was thrown for miles. The strongest tornado in South Dakota since June 18, 2014 near Alpena, South Dakota.

Fisher, Minnesota
A very small but tornadic Supercell formed in Fargo, North Dakota and moved North at 70 mph towards Fisher while strengthening rapidly. It produced a record hailstone in Climax, Minnesota (or 21.3 miles south of Fisher) at 9.5 inches in diameter, breaking the previous record of 8.1 inches in Vivian, South Dakota. As the storm reached Fisher, it finally dropped a long-tracked, massive, incredibly violent tornado near the heart of town. The Supercell had been traveling for around 80 miles now. The tornado fluctuated violently from an EF3 to an EF5. A Tornado Emergency was declared for Fisher, and it just about wiped the town off of the map. Fisher High School was absolutely demolished. 3 students were wounded as the tornado hit the school at EF5 intensity. The United Postal Service building was leveled and swept away. Cars were thrown for hundreds upon hundreds of yards. It was the strongest tornado in Minnesota history since the Chandler tornado of June 16, 1992. 31 injuries.

Fargo, North Dakota
Yet another Tornadic Supercell formed in Fargo, North Dakota, this time dropping a long tracked and *very* large tornado in Fargo. It was 2.2 miles wide and severely damaged 70% of the town. The West Acres Regional Shopping Center took a direct hit and had its entire roof lifted off of its walls and the rest was almost completely obliterated. Damage here was originally rated EF5; rating disputed due to structural flaws. Winds were recorded at 205 mph in an open field where no structural damage occurred. 43 injuries, all at the West Acres Regional Shopping Center.