170
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$21.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Blue Earth County, Minnesota: 170 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,317 nationally and #24 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Blue Earth County, Minnesota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Blue Earth County is the 2010s, when 59 of the county's 170 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Blue Earth County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,317 for this hazard and #24 within Minnesota, putting it in the 58.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Blue Earth County with 61 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2021 | MANKATO | 45 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| May 15, 1998 | MANKATO | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2025 | SEARLES | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 29, 2025 | GARDEN CITY | 53 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | EAGLE LAKE | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | MAPLETON | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2023 | MANKATO | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2023 | MANKATO | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2022 | MANKATO | 55 | $0 |
| May 12, 2022 | PEMBERTON | 56 | $2K |
| May 12, 2022 | (MKT)MANKATO MUNI AR | 57 | $15K |
| Sep 17, 2021 | MANKATO | 45 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Blue Earth County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A storm survey concluded that severe straight-line winds caused damage to half of a metal building system north of Minnesota Lake. The building's metal wall and roof panels were peeled off with most of the northern half of the building collapsed. Empty grain bins nearby were bent or tipped. Two homes nearby sustained minor wind damage to shingles.
A storm survey concluded that severe straight-line winds caused damage to wooden electrical poles, trees, and power lines north of Mapleton along Highway 22 to 179th Street. One home north of Beauford sustained minor damage to some shingles.
A storm survey concluded that severe straight-line winds moved through the town of Mapleton, and areas to the southeast that caused extensive tree damage, and power poles to be blown down. However, no structural damage to buildings or houses was found other than some minor damage to shingles at two homes.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Blue Earth County, Minnesota?
170 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Blue Earth County between 1957 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Blue Earth County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Blue Earth County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Blue Earth County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/blue-earth-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.