Wilkin County, Minnesota severe weather history spans 364 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 37.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,412 nationally and #42 in Minnesota.
364
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$2.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Wilkin County, Minnesota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wilkin County, Minnesota severe weather history averages 4.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 144 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 334 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 $1.0M 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 Wilkin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 136 | 0 | $1.0M | 93 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 126 | 0 | $25K | 4.75 | 1959–2025 |
| Tornado | 35 | 0 | $850K | F3 | 1950–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $682K | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Wilkin County, Minnesota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
32 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-08-07 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-07-02 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 18.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-09-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1950-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 4.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-07-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-07-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-07-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wilkin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 1950 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $3K | |
| Jul 3, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted at various locations along a roughly 3 mile wide path centered along MN Highway 210. Farm machinery was moved about, doors and roofing materials were torn off farm buildings and homes. Peak winds estimated at 90 to 100 mph at multiple locations.
The tornado tracked for about two miles to around two miles north of Foxhome by 6 PM CDT. A machine shed was moved off its foundation. Several large trees were broken down or snapped off near the ground in local shelter belts. The peak winds were estimated at 95 mph with a maximum width of 50 yards.
This tornado began in Wilkin County, but ended in Otter Tail County, on the north side of Fergus Falls. The tornado was wrapped in downburst winds and rain, with a total track length of about 11 miles. The tornado uprooted or snapped numerous trees in shelterbelts along its path. It also snapped a few power poles and tore the roof off and collapsed the walls at a welding and manufacturing shop near the Fergus Falls airport. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
6,371
Population (ACS)
$182K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 8, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, 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 |
| Jul 25, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wilkin County, Minnesota?
364 events are on record between 1950 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wilkin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 136 recorded events — 37.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wilkin County?
32 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wilkin County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wilkin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wilkin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wilkin County as very low risk, placing it in the 5 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wilkin 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
- Watonwan County 223
- Winona County 572
- Washington County 416
- Wright County 681
- Waseca County 314
- Yellow Medicine County 238
Cite this page
“Wilkin County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/wilkin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.