56
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: 56 recorded events between 1956 and 2023. The strongest on record measured F1. That places the county #292 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Kandiyohi County is the 2000s, when 18 of the county's 56 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 Kandiyohi County archive, tornado makes up 11.9% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #292 for this hazard and #5 within Minnesota, putting it in the 89.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Kandiyohi County with 19 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-07-11 | EF3 | 8.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-14 | EF1 | 3.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-06-11 | EF1 | 1.6 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-09-19 | EF1 | 12.6 mi | 550 yd | Crossed in |
| 2009-07-14 | EF1 | 6.4 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-07-09 | EF1 | 3.0 mi | 220 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-06-24 | EF1 | 3.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 7.0 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2008 | PRIAM | EF3 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2001 | SPICER | F1 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 1964 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2023 | NEW LONDON | EF0 | $0 |
| May 6, 2023 | ROSELAND | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 29, 2022 | PRINSBURG | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 20, 2021 | SUNBURG | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2020 | SPICER | EF1 | $250K |
| Aug 14, 2020 | ATWATER | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2020 | SPICER | EF0 | $100K |
| Aug 3, 2018 | ATWATER | EF0 | $100K |
| Sep 20, 2017 | SUNBURG | EF1 | $100K |
| Jun 11, 2017 | KANDIYOHI | EF1 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from Kandiyohi County
- Hail 195
- Thunderstorm Wind 180
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A multiple vortex tornado touched down west of Pennock near a turkey farm, which was severely damaged. 200 to 300 turkeys were killed. The tornado then tracked straight east through the city of Pennock, knocking down trees and causing some damage to houses, including partially removing the roof from one home. A large storage building was destroyed in Pennock, as were several sheds and a garage. Just east of Pennock, it took direct aim on a house, lifting off its roof and blowing a shed into a nearby field. Another garage nearby had its roof removed. A strong rear flank downdraft accompanied the tornado, producing wind damage from just east of Pennock to Willmar (see corresponding entry).
A National Weather Service storm survey, plus visual reports and video, confirmed that a tornado moved through portions of Kandiyohi County near the town of Spicer. Portions of downtown Spicer were damaged, including the partial destruction of the upper level of a home, roof damage to multiple houses, several outbuildings destroyed, and a dozen or more car windows blown out at the local Green Mall parking lot. Maximum wind damage was estimated between 100 to 110 mph.
A NWS survey, plus storm chasers video indicated an EF-1 tornado across portions of eastern Kandiyohi County, or the Irving Township area. This tornado destroyed one large shed and heavily damaged another. Drone video indicated the exact track of the tornado as it moved into Meeker County.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota?
56 tornado events are recorded in Kandiyohi County between 1956 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Kandiyohi County?
The strongest tornado on record in Kandiyohi County measured F1.
Where does the tornado data for Kandiyohi 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
“Tornado in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/kandiyohi-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.