Cass County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27021 · population 30,036 · 2,021 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 913 records for Cass County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 442 days; the most frequent are hail reports (265 records). The deadliest single record is the August 6, 1969 tornado: 12 deaths and 70 injuries. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1965, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on June 28, 2024.
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
- 913on 442 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1682 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $62Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2024
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 Cass County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 265 since 1959. 54% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in June and July. 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 | 265 | 125 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 80 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 263 | 132 | 1970-2026 | 1 | 0 | $85K | 76 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 171 | 110 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 3 | – | 83 of 87 |
| Drought | 88 | 47 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 79 | 51 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 82 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 21 | 1964-2025 | 13 | 75 | $62M | 79 of 87 |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $386K | 86 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 2 | 1997-2010 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 85 of 87 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2015-2025 | 0 | 4 | $293K | 46 of 87 |
| Heat | 3 | 2 | 2011-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 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 Cass County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Cass County from 1964 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 13 deaths and 75 injuries 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 31 tornadoes whose track touched Cass County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 13 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-08-06 15:48, as SPC files it | Fifty Lakes | F4 | 32.3 mi | 12 |
| 1991-07-05 18:35, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F1 | 0.3 mi | 1 |
| 1966-06-11 17:00, as SPC files it | Crosslake | F4 | 72.8 mi | 0 |
| 1991-07-05 18:39, as SPC files it | Lake Shore | F3 | 6 mi | 0 |
| 1977-08-26 18:35, as SPC files it | East Gull Lake to Trommald | F3 | 26.3 mi | 0 |
| 1969-08-06 15:20, as SPC files it | Backus | F3 | 17.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Cass County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-16 | Pillager, Cass County | EF1 10.75 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-30 | Esterday, Cass County | EF1 0.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 2022-05-30 | Poplar, Cass County | EF1 4.3 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-03 | Schley, Cass County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-03 | Bena, Cass County | EF0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-03 | Bena, Cass County | EF0 0.34 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-06-19 | Esterday, Cass County | EF0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-08-29 | Remer, Cass County | EF1 8.64 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-17 | Poplar, Cass County | EF0 9.76 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2008-05-25 | Whipholt, Cass County | EF0 4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-06-28 | Outing, Cass County | F0 0.1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-05 | Cass County | F3 1 mi x 43 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-05 | Cass County | F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-05 | Cass County | F2 2.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1982-08-18 | Cass County | F1 0.3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1981-08-02 | Cass County | F1 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-07-12 | Cass County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1977-08-26 | Cass County | F2 21.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-08-26 | Cass County | F3 8.9 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1977-06-27 | Cass County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-07-22 | Cass County | F1 4.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1975-07-02 | Cass County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-06-19 | Cass County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1969-08-06 | Cass County | F4 12.3 mi x 833 yd | 12 | 70 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-08-06 | Cass County | F3 17.3 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1968-07-14 | Cass County | F0 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-06-14 | Cass County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-09-09 | Cass County | F1 0.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Cass County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 22, 2025 lightning ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindPillager, Cass County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBena, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindPortage Lake, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindFederal Dam, Cass County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindGull Lake, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindEsterday, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | HailPillager, Cass County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindBena, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | HailBena, Cass County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Northern Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-09 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Northern Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindEsterday, Cass County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-08-06 | TornadoCass County | F4 12.3 mi x 833 yd | 12 | 70 | $2.5M step |
| 2018-03-26 | Heavy SnowCass County · forecast zone Southern Cass A two-vehicle crash occurred in Sylvan Township on the evening of the 26th. The Minnesota State Patrol reported that highway conditions were snow- and ice-covered. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2018-02-24 | Cold/Wind ChillCass County · forecast zone Northern Cass On the morning of the 25th, the Cass County Sheriff's Office received a report of an unresponsive male in a fish house on Leech Lake. The 21 year old male was pronounced deceased upon arrival at the hospital. The medical examiner ruled cause of death as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Overnight low temperatures ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindOuting, Cass County A 51 year old male scout leader was killed when a tree fell on a tent he was in near Lake Washburn. | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-05 | TornadoCass County | F1 0.3 mi x 10 yd | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1969-08-06 | TornadoCass County | F3 17.3 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 2016-06-12 | LightningPontoria, Cass County Three fishermen were injured when struck by lightning while on Baby Lake in rural Hackensack. The father and two sons had been fishing from a boat. The father, a 48 year-old, took a direct hit of lightning and was in serious condition with significant burns on his body. His two sons were treated at a local hospital ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2018-06-30 | LightningGull Lake, Cass County Lightning struck a cabin just north of the Brainerd International Raceway. It went through the roof and struck a 15 year-old boy who was lying in bed before passing through the boxspring of the bed and exiting the cabin through an electrical outlet. The boy received superficial injuries. The bed he was on started on ... | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-20 | FloodLongville, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $386K | |
| 2022-05-30 | TornadoEsterday, Cass County | EF1 0.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 2025-04-22 | LightningLake Shr, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2010-06-17 | HailBena, Cass County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2010-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindBena, Cass County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2010-06-17 | TornadoPoplar, Cass County | EF0 9.76 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 6, 1969 (tornado, Cass County, 12 killed); August 6, 1969 (tornado, Cass County); August 26, 1977 (tornado, Cass 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 Cass 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 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 71 | 69 | 79 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 47 | 86 | 66 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 20 | 50 | 58 | 43 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 24 | 16 | 48 z |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 16 | 32 | 29 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 48 records against 16 in the decade before, 48 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Cass County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
54% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 70 · Feb 68 · Mar 51 · Apr 46 · May 63 · Jun 161 · Jul 192 · Aug 115 · Sep 56 · Oct 13 · Nov 24 · Dec 54 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cass County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Cass County: 11 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-28 | DR-4797 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2022-08-09 | DR-4666 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2022-07-08 | DR-4658 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-07 | DR-4531 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3453 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-09-05 | DR-4390 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2012-07-06 | DR-4069 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1999-07-28 | DR-1283 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding |
| 1997-04-08 | DR-1175 | Flood | Severe Flooding, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1995-08-18 | DR-1064 | Severe Storm | Severe Thunderstorms, Winds, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Heat |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Cass County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for Cass County from 1997 to 2024, on 5 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cass County ranks 2291st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $65,000 on 12 claims filed in Cass County; the most in one year was 4 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2001: 2 · 2009: 4 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 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 Cass County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cass County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.7M | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $150K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $603K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $13K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.9M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $213K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $313K | 1.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $88K | 13 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cass 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 Cass CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cass County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis