Benton County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27009 · population 41,368 · 408 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 349 records for Benton County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 261 days; the most frequent are hail reports (105 records). The deadliest single record is the January 17, 1996 blizzard, filed for the forecast zone Benton, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1965, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on July 25, 2013.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 349on 261 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Benton County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 105 since 1956. 46% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The rank column places the county among Minnesota's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 105 | 61 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 27 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 100 | 98 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 22 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 59 | 44 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 1 | $2.9M | 51 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 87 |
| Floods | 12 | 11 | 1997-2016 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 46 of 87 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 9 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 5 | 2009-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | $27K | 50 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 6 | 1954-2014 | 0 | 1 | $4.2M | 75 of 87 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 36 of 87 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Benton County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Benton County from 1954 to 2014, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 7 tornadoes whose track touched Benton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Benton County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08-24 | Jakeville, Benton County | EF0 4.24 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1992-06-16 | Benton County | F2 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-09-12 | Benton County | F0 1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-09-12 | Benton County | F2 0.8 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-06-17 | Benton County | F2 0.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1970-07-18 | Benton County | F2 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-08-15 | Benton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Benton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 28, 2021 hail ($272,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
There were multiple vehicles damaged with windows broken. In addition, siding on houses was damaged and numerous windows were broken to houses and outbuildings in and around Popple Creek.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 971742)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-06 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter WeatherBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-09 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindRice, Benton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-01 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-17 | BlizzardBenton County · forecast zone Benton A major winter storm brought blizzard conditions with significant snowfall to western and central Minnesota. Snowfall reached a foot or more in Little Falls, Melrose, Alexandria and Staples with 6 to 11 inches in St. Cloud, Benson and Canby. Wind gusts to 60 mph on the 18th also resulted in dangerous wind chills of 70 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindRice, Benton County Many hundreds, perhaps thousands of trees were uprooted, snapped or broken in an eight mile wide swath that extended from the western edge of the county, near Rice to Watab, to just north of Sartell, to north central Benton County, in Graham Township, centered near State Highway 25 and County Road 77. In addition, a ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $68K |
| 1954-08-15 | TornadoBenton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-04-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Benton County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2007-06-20 | HailSauk Rapids, Benton County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.3M |
| 2002-07-10 | Flash FloodCountywide, Benton County | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | |
| 2011-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindSauk Rapids, Benton County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2001-04-22 | Flash FloodCountywide, Benton County | 0 | 0 | $833K | |
| 2003-06-28 | HailFoley, Benton County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2002-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindFoley, Benton County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $410K |
| 2009-06-18 | HailRice, Benton County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $275K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 18, 1970 (tornado, Benton County); June 17, 1977 (tornado, Benton County); September 12, 1982 (tornado, Benton County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Benton County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 39 | 24 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 32 | 27 | 30 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 13 | 4 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 13 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 29 · Mar 28 · Apr 25 · May 33 · Jun 52 · Jul 56 · Aug 43 · Sep 12 · Oct 7 · Nov 11 · Dec 29 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Benton County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Benton County: 10 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (6) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-07 | DR-4531 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3453 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-07-25 | DR-4131 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1370 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1997-04-08 | DR-1175 | Flood | Severe Flooding, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1997-01-16 | DR-1158 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1978-07-08 | DR-560 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Hail & Tornadoes |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-08-01 | DR-347 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-255 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1966-03-22 | DR-215 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1965-04-11 | DR-188 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Benton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Benton County from 1997 to 2016, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Benton County ranks 1694th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $180,000 on 46 claims filed in Benton County; the most in one year was 24 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1995: 2 · 1997: 24 · 2001: 14 · 2002: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2022: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Benton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benton County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $18.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $918K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $156K | once in about 1,020 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $10M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $263K | 5.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $250K | 33 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Benton County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MinnesotaEvery Minnesota tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Hail in MinnesotaThe state's hail reports, by county, year and month
- The Minnesota recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Benton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Benton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis