Wright County, Minnesota severe weather history spans 681 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #426 nationally and #7 in Minnesota.
681
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$85.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Wright County, Minnesota severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wright County, Minnesota severe weather history averages 10.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 243 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 55 events fall before 1990 and 626 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $31.3M 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 Wright County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 330 | 0 | $31.3M | 4 | 1962–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 270 | 0 | $22.9M | 100 | 1968–2025 |
| Tornado | 27 | 0 | $3.1M | F3 | 1957–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 17 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 13 | 0 | $27.3M | 0 | 1997–2016 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 2005–2016 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2025 |
Decade by decade
Wright County, Minnesota severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 24 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-06-19 | EF4 | 1 | 20 | 52.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-07-01 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-16 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-09-16 | EF2 | 1 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-07-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 18.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-09-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wright County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $0 | |
| Sep 22, 2005 | Lightning | OTSEGO | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2008 | Lightning | MONTICELLO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 28, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | ANNANDALE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 6, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Just three days after a heavy rainfall and flash flooding on the 21st, four to seven inches were widespread across Wright County, and there was an unofficial report of ten inches in less than six hours. Dozens of roads were closed, and many experienced washouts. A cabin at Waverly was pushed off its foundation by a mudslide. One home in Howard Lake sustained severe damage from a mudslide. A mobile home park in Howard Lake was flooded; 17 families were displaced by the water. Over 100 homes in Howard Lake had flooded basements. Some businesses and homes in Delano and Montrose were flooded. In Annandale, ten vehicles were submerged and numerous basements flooded. An auto dealership in Buffalo lost about 270 vehicles when flood waters soaked their lot. Dozens of basements were flooded in Buffalo and Maple Lake. Local agricultural officials estimate as much as 25% of the crops were lost, and 650 farms experienced losses.
While several tornadoes converged on the southern edge of town, hurricane force winds battered the northern portions. The intersection of Interstate 94 and highway 25 was hardest hit by downburst winds resulting in extensive roof damage. Every tree in Ellison Park damaged. Roof ripped off automobile dealership flung into new car area destroying 75 new cars and trucks. Numerous recreational vehicles at RV dealership totaled. Over 200 structures significantly damaged. 61 homes and apartment buildings declared uninhabitable. 30 factories closed. Northern States Power transmission towers blown down. 2500 trees lost. Air conditioning unit blown off high school roof. Parked truck blown two thirds of a block. $100 million dollars damage estimate in Wright county. Called worst storm in 60 year history of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association.
Three to seven inches of rain fell on waterlogged Wright County, site of several flash floods earlier in the summer. Several creeks and ditches overflowed, including Willow Creek in Buffalo. Water was two to three feet deep over numerous roads. Basements were flooded in homes and businesses. The parking lot of a vehicle dealership flooded, and 80 vehicles sustained damage. Several other vehicles were flooded at a nearby auto repair shop.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
148,269
Population (ACS)
$359K
Median home value
17
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 21, 2014 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 10, 2011 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 19, 2010 | Flood | FLOODING | EM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wright County, Minnesota?
681 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $85.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wright County?
Hail, with 330 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wright County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 24 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wright County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wright County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wright County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wright County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wright 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
- Winona County 572
- Yellow Medicine County 238
- Wilkin County 364
- Watonwan County 223
- Washington County 416
- Waseca County 314
Cite this page
“Wright County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/wright-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.