270
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$22.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Wright County, Minnesota: 270 recorded events between 1968 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 100. That places the county #577 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Wright County, Minnesota: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Wright County is the 2000s, when 72 of the county's 270 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Wright County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 39.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #577 for this hazard and #9 within Minnesota, putting it in the 81.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Wright County with 101 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 1997 | ANNANDALE | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 1995 | Monticello | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2025 | COKATO | 54 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | HOWARD LAKE | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | ALBERTVILLE | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | ANNANDALE | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2025 | BUFFALO MUNI ARPT | 53 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | HANOVER | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | ST MICHAEL | 56 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2025 | BUFFALO MUNI ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| May 15, 2025 | HOWARD LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 29, 2024 | ALBERTVILLE | 56 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Wright County
- Hail 330
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
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.
An isolated microburst hit the Maple Lake area when scattered thunderstorms rolled through central Minnesota. Winds lifted and overturned a construction trailer at Holy Cross Church. One man inside the trailer escaped without any injuries. The church was untouched.
A downburst hit a large area southeast and east of Buffalo, MN. The storm survey found a path that was just over four miles long and which broadened out as the downburst moved to the northeast. Hundreds of trees were downed, mostly to the northwest, north, and northeast. Some trees fell on sheds, garages, and vehicles. Multiple farm buildings suffered major damage. A large window in a house was blown inward. A double garage door was blown in and soffit from an adjacent barn was blown off. The last of the surveyed damage was to a park and farm on the southern shore of Beebe Lake. At the farm, winds blew in the south wall of a machine shed which landed on a combine. Portions of this shed were found nearly 300 yards to the northwest.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Wright County, Minnesota?
270 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Wright County between 1968 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Wright County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Wright County measured 100.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Wright County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Wright County, Minnesota.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/minnesota/wright-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.