71
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$10K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Minnesota: 71 recorded events between 1977 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #2,549 nationally and #80 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Minnesota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Lake County is the 2010s, when 22 of the county's 71 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 Lake County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 44.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,549 for this hazard and #80 within Minnesota, putting it in the 19.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Lake County with 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2016 | FOREST CENTER | 61 | 2 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2003 | ISABELLA | 50 | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2014 | FOREST CENTER | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2014 | FOREST CENTER | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23, 2025 | SAWBILL LNDG | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2025 | ISABELLA | 50 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | FINLAND | 50 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | SILVER BAY | 50 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | SILVER BAY MUNI ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | EAST BEAVER BAY | 50 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | SILVER BAY MUNI ARPT | 60 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | SILVER BAY MUNI ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 5, 2023 | FOREST CENTER | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 5, 2023 | FOREST CENTER | 55 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lake County
- Hail 60
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Severe thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees near the Prairie Portage area of Basswood Lake right on and near the Canadian border. Trees were blown down near the campsite of 9 campers who were affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. One woman (age 39) and one boy (age 13) were killed when trees fell on their tent. Two other campers were injured with non-life-threatening injuries. The campers were technically in Canada, but added this to the event record for historical purposes since the campers were so close to the US border.
Some trees were uprooted, some were snapped, and some trees fell in different directions. Many trees were large, estimated to be around or greater than a foot in diameter. Report was received via phone, and the caller mentioned that around the immediate Finland area, damage was sporadic with relatively minor to moderate widespread damage, but channels from approximately Little Marais to the Superior Hiking Trailhead along Little Marais Road towards Finland where there were numerous trees down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Lake County, Minnesota?
71 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Lake County between 1977 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Lake County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Lake County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Lake 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 Lake County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/lake-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.