Wabasha County, Minnesota severe weather history spans 421 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 38.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,169 nationally and #31 in Minnesota.
421
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$38.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Wabasha County, Minnesota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wabasha County, Minnesota severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 156 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 43 events fall before 1990 and 378 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $18.1M 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 Wabasha County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 160 | 0 | $1.8M | 2.5 | 1972–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 148 | 0 | $15.0M | 85 | 1968–2026 |
| Flood | 59 | 0 | $18.1M | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 19 | 0 | $2.1M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 17 | 0 | $1.1M | F2 | 1964–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $155K | 0 | 2013–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2020 |
Decade by decade
Wabasha County, Minnesota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 26.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-08-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-06-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-06-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-09-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding occurred in the town of Zumbro Falls as the Zumbro River rose to record levels. Of the 95 homes in the town, 60 were affected by flood waters. Businesses in the downtown area also saw damages, while propane tanks were seen floating around. The entire town was evacuated, while power, water and septic systems were down for days. The rainfall as of 5:30 a.m. CST on the 23rd amounted to 6.37 inches.
Major flooding occurred in the town of Hammond due to record flooding on the Zumbro River. Of the 75 homes in the town, 19 were damaged and 20 were destroyed. Power, water and septic services were down in the town for several days. Businesses in the town also saw extensive damage.
Flooding occurred along rivers, streams and creeks as well as low-lying areas throughout the county. At least 14 roads were closed across the county due to water over the roads, including U.S. Highway 63, State Highways 68 and 60, and County Roads 3, 8, 21, and 11. At least 10 schools throughout the county canceled classes due to road closures. It was estimated that 300 homes were affected by flood waters throughout the county, 99 of which were in the towns of Zumbro Falls and Hammond. The areas that saw the worst flooding included locations along the Zumbro River, including the cities of Zumbro Falls, Hammond, Millville, and Jarrett. Due to the rising river, the towns of Zumbro Falls, Hammond, and Millville were evacuated, as well as 20 to 30 residents who lived along County Road 11 between Hammond and Millville. In Kellogg, massive erosion occurred along the Zumbro River, which endangered some homes.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,565
Population (ACS)
$264K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 19, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS 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 |
| Oct 13, 2010 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Wabasha 173
- Lake City 113
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wabasha County, Minnesota?
421 events are on record between 1964 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $38.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wabasha County?
Hail, with 160 recorded events — 38.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wabasha County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wabasha County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wabasha County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wabasha County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wabasha County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 46 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wabasha 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
- Traverse County 197
- Wadena County 322
- Todd County 286
- Waseca County 314
- Swift County 272
- Washington County 416
Cite this page
“Wabasha County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/wabasha-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.