180
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$16.8M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: 180 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 103. That places the county #1,211 nationally and #21 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Kandiyohi County is the 2000s, when 38 of the county's 180 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, thunderstorm wind makes up 38.1% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,211 for this hazard and #21 within Minnesota, putting it in the 61.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Kandiyohi County with 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2022 | BLOMKEST | 61 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 1997 | WILLMAR | 55 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 1985 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2025 | WILLMAR | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | LAKE LILLIAN | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | NEW LONDON | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | SUNBURG | 64 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | LAKE LILLIAN | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | SPICER | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2025 | ATWATER | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2025 | ROSELAND | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 2025 | PRINSBURG | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 29, 2024 | WILLMAR | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kandiyohi County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The mesocyclone which produced its first tornado 9 N Kerkhoven in Swift County intensified dramatically as it neared Spicer. A 5 to 6 mile wide swath of damaging wind blasted an area in a strip from Sunburg to 5 S Sunburg, then intensified dramatically as it neared Spicer and Green Lake. It continued toward the Atwater area, where a seed farm measured 103 knots (119 mph). It then exited Kandiyohi County and went into Meeker County. Hundreds of structures were damaged by the wind, including roofs off some businesses and garages, along with many downed barns, grain bins and outbuildings. Several thousand trees were felled, many onto homes and vehicles.
A line of severe straight-line winds, estimated over 75 mph, occurred north of Kandiyohi, then southeast to the city of Atwater. Numerous trees were uprooted, several barns were damaged or destroyed, windows were blown out in several communities, and power was out for several hours.
A strong rear flank downdraft accompanied the Pennock tornado (see corresponding entry). Several trees were felled, bleachers at an athletic complex were destroyed, a grain bin collapsed onto a Bobcat, and a sign at the Kandi Mall was knocked down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota?
180 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Kandiyohi County between 1955 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Kandiyohi County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Kandiyohi County measured 103.
Where does the thunderstorm wind 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/kandiyohi-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.