Polk County, Minnesota severe weather history spans 914 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 46.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #196 nationally and #4 in Minnesota.
914
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$11.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Polk County, Minnesota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Polk County, Minnesota severe weather history averages 13.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 313 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 832 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Polk County, Minnesota record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Polk County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 423 | 0 | $77K | 3.5 | 1956–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 318 | 0 | $1.8M | 96 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 82 | 4 | $8.4M | F2 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 38 | 0 | $292K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 32 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2020 |
| Flood | 16 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $216K | 0 | 1998–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Polk County, Minnesota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
87 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 76 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-17 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-07-05 | EF2 | 4 | 44 | 57.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-08-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-07-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 37.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Polk County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 1975 | Tornado | 2 | 0 | $250K | |
| Jul 5, 1978 | Tornado | 1 | 9 | $0 | |
| Jun 17, 2010 | Tornado | MAPLE BAY | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $25K | |
| Jun 19, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fertile and Mentor | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Oct 8, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLIMAX | 0 | 1 | $2K |
| Jul 9, 1966 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado began in Polk County and tracked northeastward for nine miles to the Red Lake County line about 5 miles north-northeast of Mentor. After crossing into Red Lake County, it continued for an additional 6 miles. The tornado tracked across Maple Lake and the community of Mentor. Trees were sheared off or uprooted, power poles were snapped, and roofs and garages were destroyed. A convenience store and gas station along U. S. Highway 2 were flattened. Cabins, campers, boats, and docks were damaged along the northeast side of Maple Lake. Peak winds were estimated at 145 mph.
This tornado was likely wrapped in downburst winds and heavy rain for most of its path. It tracked nearly due east at about 60 mph, for at least 15 miles. It tore down trees in shelterbelts and tore roofing off of a couple of homes and farm buildings. It tore down 11 miles, or more than 50 high voltage towers, and snapped wooden power poles at cross roads along its path. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.
The strong wind hit East Grand Forks, knocking over trees, powerlines, signs, and traffic lights. An estimated 400 trees were flattened by the storm, falling on roofs, vehicles, and homes. Power was knocked out for about half of the city. Windows in the new city hall building were broken and the roof on an apartment building was torn off. A semi trailer was also blown over as were the outer boards on an outdoor skating rink.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
30,705
Population (ACS)
$223K
Median home value
31
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2022 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 7, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 12, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 5, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 10, 2011 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Polk County, Minnesota?
914 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $11.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Polk County?
Hail, with 423 recorded events — 46.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Polk County?
87 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 76 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Polk County?
31 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Polk County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Polk County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Polk County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 67 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Polk 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
- Pipestone County 334
- Pope County 301
- Pine County 373
- Ramsey County 441
- Pennington County 209
- Red Lake County 216
Cite this page
“Polk County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/polk-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.