2,422
Recorded events
87
Counties affected
100
Direct deaths
$2.0B
Property damage
Minnesota tornado history: 2,422 recorded events across 87 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Minnesota tornado history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 516 reported tornado events across Minnesota. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in Minnesota
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Otter Tail County | 87 | 3 | $14.4M | 1955–2025 |
| #2 | Polk County | 82 | 4 | $8.4M | 1955–2025 |
| #3 | Freeborn County | 70 | 14 | $150.8M | 1952–2026 |
| #4 | Stearns County | 57 | 3 | $38.0M | 1953–2025 |
| #5 | Kandiyohi County | 56 | 0 | $5.4M | 1956–2023 |
| #6 | Swift County | 51 | 0 | $15.3M | 1952–2025 |
| #7 | Beltrami County | 44 | 0 | $2.6M | 1964–2025 |
| #8 | Nobles County | 44 | 0 | $30.6M | 1955–2025 |
| #9 | Blue Earth County | 43 | 1 | $11.2M | 1953–2026 |
| #10 | Faribault County | 42 | 0 | $1.5M | 1958–2026 |
| #11 | St. Louis County | 42 | 3 | $6.6M | 1953–2024 |
| #12 | Clay County | 42 | 0 | $2.0M | 1957–2022 |
| #13 | Dakota County | 40 | 1 | $11.3M | 1965–2024 |
| #14 | Olmsted County | 40 | 1 | $44.7M | 1953–2026 |
| #15 | Rice County | 40 | 0 | $32.1M | 1959–2025 |
| #16 | Roseau County | 38 | 0 | $21.6M | 1966–2024 |
| #17 | Sibley County | 36 | 1 | $51.4M | 1965–2022 |
| #18 | Marshall County | 36 | 0 | $771K | 1964–2022 |
| #19 | Wilkin County | 35 | 0 | $850K | 1950–2022 |
| #20 | Goodhue County | 35 | 0 | $7.0M | 1967–2025 |
| #21 | Mower County | 34 | 0 | $35.4M | 1959–2026 |
| #22 | Murray County | 34 | 1 | $56.1M | 1968–2023 |
| #23 | Becker County | 34 | 0 | $3.2M | 1964–2023 |
| #24 | Kittson County | 33 | 0 | $4.5M | 1976–2022 |
| #25 | Brown County | 32 | 1 | $48.8M | 1952–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Minnesota
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 1969 | Cass County | F4 | 12 | 70 |
| Jun 14, 1968 | Lyon County | F5 | 9 | 150 |
| May 7, 1965 | Hennepin County | F4 | 6 | 50 |
| May 10, 1953 | Freeborn County | F2 | 6 | 3 |
| May 1, 1967 | Waseca County | F4 | 6 | 22 |
| May 1, 1967 | Freeborn County | F4 | 5 | 35 |
| Jul 21, 1951 | Hennepin County | F3 | 5 | 40 |
| May 7, 1965 | Anoka County | F4 | 3 | 175 |
| Jul 5, 1978 | Norman County | F2 | 3 | 35 |
| May 7, 1965 | Carver County | F4 | 3 | 87 |