1,347
Recorded events
87
Counties affected
13
Direct deaths
$332.3M
Property damage
Minnesota flash flood history: 1,347 recorded events across 87 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Minnesota flash flood history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 540 reported flash flood 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 flash flood events in Minnesota
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | St. Louis County | 89 | 0 | $1.1M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Hennepin County | 52 | 0 | $1.5M | 1997–2025 |
| #3 | Otter Tail County | 39 | 0 | $542K | 1998–2020 |
| #4 | Polk County | 38 | 0 | $292K | 1997–2024 |
| #5 | Wilkin County | 35 | 0 | $100K | 1997–2022 |
| #6 | Fillmore County | 34 | 0 | $46.5M | 1998–2024 |
| #7 | Mower County | 33 | 0 | $2.2M | 1998–2024 |
| #8 | Clay County | 32 | 0 | $5.7M | 1998–2023 |
| #9 | Winona County | 31 | 5 | $41.3M | 1997–2024 |
| #10 | Lyon County | 27 | 0 | $155K | 2002–2025 |
| #11 | Itasca County | 25 | 0 | $10K | 1999–2025 |
| #12 | Nobles County | 24 | 0 | $5K | 2001–2024 |
| #13 | Houston County | 23 | 2 | $48.6M | 1998–2019 |
| #14 | Blue Earth County | 22 | 0 | $835K | 1996–2025 |
| #15 | Dakota County | 21 | 1 | $21.2M | 1997–2017 |
| #16 | Goodhue County | 20 | 3 | $2.0M | 1997–2019 |
| #17 | Wabasha County | 19 | 0 | $2.1M | 1998–2024 |
| #18 | Pine County | 19 | 0 | $0 | 2000–2019 |
| #19 | Ramsey County | 19 | 1 | $702K | 1997–2025 |
| #20 | Steele County | 19 | 0 | $6.0M | 1997–2025 |
| #21 | Stearns County | 18 | 0 | $7.4M | 2001–2025 |
| #22 | Carlton County | 18 | 0 | $22.0M | 2011–2024 |
| #23 | Rice County | 18 | 0 | $2.2M | 1997–2025 |
| #24 | Marshall County | 18 | 0 | $266K | 1996–2024 |
| #25 | Waseca County | 18 | 0 | $0 | 2004–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest flash flood events in Minnesota
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2007 | Winona County | — | 5 | 0 |
| Jun 27, 1998 | Goodhue County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jun 8, 2005 | Goodhue County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 19, 2007 | Houston County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 19, 2007 | Houston County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 2007 | Ramsey County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 2000 | Dakota County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 12, 2008 | Freeborn County | — | 1 | 2 |