Benson County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Benson County, ND right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,003 alerts that included Benson County, roughly 100 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (185 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 17, 2026. 50 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Benson County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Nelson County, Towner County, Ramsey County, Pierce County.
Benson County alert history
Alert events that included Benson County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 185 | 21 | September 3, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 139 | 5 | January 30, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 123 | 13 | April 17, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 100 | 13 | October 24, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 92 | 12 | November 4, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 55 | 7 | September 7, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 40 | 3 | April 3, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 34 | 1 | January 22, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 29 | 4 | May 14, 2026 |
| Blizzard Warning | 26 | 1 | January 18, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 25 | 4 | October 2, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 24 | 2 | March 12, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 19 | 4 | October 16, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 18 | 1 | May 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 18 | 4 | July 17, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 17 | 2 | May 15, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 9 | 1 | June 29, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 8 | 2 | July 29, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 8 | 0 | June 17, 2024 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 7 | 1 | July 10, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 7 | 0 | October 7, 2023 |
| High Wind Watch | 7 | 0 | March 15, 2025 |
| Flood Advisory | 6 | 2 | August 24, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 4 | 0 | April 30, 2022 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 3 | 1 | January 23, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 0 | 1 | July 12, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 0 | 1 | July 12, 2026 |
Tornado history in Benson County
50 tornadoes have been recorded in Benson County since 1950. That ranks 11 of 53 counties in North Dakota. The most recent was on July 17, 2020 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Benson County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 1958 | F3 | Benson County | 10.7 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 9, 2017 | EF2 | Benson County | 8 mi | 600 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 8, 2001 | F2 | Benson County | 7 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 20, 1974 | F2 | Benson County | 3.8 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 4, 2018 | EF2 | Eddy County | 3.1 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 17, 2020 | EF1 | Benson County | 0.3 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 17, 2020 | EF0 | Benson County | 0.1 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 2020 | EF0 | Benson County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 4, 2018 | EF2 | Eddy County | 3.1 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 9, 2017 | EF0 | Benson County | 2.1 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Benson County
- Population: 5,756 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Dakota
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 038005 (how to use it)