Meeker County, Minnesota severe weather history spans 373 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 49.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,371 nationally and #40 in Minnesota.
373
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$13.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Meeker County, Minnesota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Meeker County, Minnesota severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 122 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 54 events fall before 1990 and 319 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $11.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Meeker County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 185 | 0 | $976K | 4.25 | 1963–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 140 | 0 | $11.4M | 80 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 26 | 0 | $875K | F2 | 1963–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $625K | 0 | 2001–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2016 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Meeker County, Minnesota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-07-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-06-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-08-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Meeker County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | LITCHFIELD | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | KINGSTON | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 4, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | GREENLEAF | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2016 | Tornado | WATKINS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | Hail | DASSEL | 0 | 1 | $500 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The storm complex moved into Meeker County, producing a 4 to 5 mile wide swath of damage from northwest to southeast across the county. The most severe damage was in Grove City and Litchfield. The Grove City High School auditorium roof collapsed, and light towers and other structures were destroyed at the Grove City race track. Hundreds of trees were toppled in Litchfield, many onto homes and vehicles. Dozens of barns, grain bins, and outbuildings sustained damage across the county. Homes were pummeled by wind-driven hail. Damage amount listed is for all events in Meeker County.
Estimated severe straight-line winds of 75 mph caused major damage centered one mile south of Grove City, approximately 5 miles wide (east & west) to 6 miles north of Grove City. Damage was associated with dozens of trees, multiple power lines snapped and blown down, 14 buildings reported or found damaged moderately to severe to include over 1 half dozen metal barns, sheds, grain bins and one house with 1/2 roof torn off. Grove City High School bleachers blown over as well.
Numerous trees down in a wide swath that originated in Kandiyohi County and extended into Meeker, Renville and McLeod Counties. Sheds and outbuildings were blown over across an approximate area of 40 to 50 square miles. Several grain bins were damaged, and the roof of the Cedar Mills liquor store was removed. The damage survey revealed that winds were from the north-northwest.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
23,468
Population (ACS)
$249K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 6, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 28, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| May 16, 2001 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Meeker County, Minnesota?
373 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $13.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Meeker County?
Hail, with 185 recorded events — 49.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Meeker County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Meeker County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Meeker County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Meeker County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Meeker County as very low risk, placing it in the 27 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Meeker County, Minnesota severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Martin County 332
- Mille Lacs County 251
- Marshall County 447
- Morrison County 376
- Mahnomen County 216
- Mower County 501
Cite this page
“Meeker County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/meeker-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.