Fillmore County, Minnesota

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27045 · population 21,197 · 861 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 688 records for Fillmore County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 438 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (194 records). The deadliest single record is the May 10, 1953 tornado: 1 death and 6 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1965, 16 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
688on 438 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
634 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$166Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
25strongest F4
FEMA declarations
18latest 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 Fillmore County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 194 since 1969. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 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.

Fillmore County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 194 104 1969-2026 0 0 $2.6M 42 of 87
Hail 175 107 1964-2026 0 0 $1.1M 45 of 87
Winter storms 119 118 1996-2026 2 6 $193K 65 of 87
Floods 48 40 1997-2024 0 0 $94M 23 of 87
Extreme cold 33 33 1996-2026 0 0 – 69 of 87
Heavy rain 27 13 2010-2020 0 0 – 16 of 87
Tornadoes 25 18 1953-2025 1 23 $66M 60 of 87
Drought 23 23 2012-2024 0 0 $207K 23 of 87
High wind and dust storms 18 18 1996-2026 0 4 $1.0M 46 of 87
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 13 13 1997-2024 3 1 $21K 28 of 87
Heat 12 12 1999-2026 0 0 $58K 50 of 87
Lightning 1 1 2000-2000 0 0 $31K 64 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 Fillmore County had?

NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Fillmore County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 23 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Fillmore County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Fillmore County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Fillmore County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1953-05-10 17:30, as SPC files itStanleyCrossed IA, MN, WIF4162 mi2
1965-05-05 19:00, as SPC files itCanton to HoustonCrossed MN, WIF365.2 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.

Every tornado record filed for Fillmore County (25)
Every tornado recorded in Fillmore County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-06-25 Choice, Fillmore County EF1 2.24 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $5K
2022-04-12 Ostrander, Fillmore County EF1 2.3 mi x 180 yd 0 0 $655K
2021-12-15 Bratsberg, Fillmore County EF1 2.35 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $103K
2021-12-15 Arendahl, Fillmore County EF1 1.19 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $44K
2021-12-15 Preston, Fillmore County EF1 1.77 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $250K
2021-12-15 Preston, Fillmore County EF0 0.51 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $300K
2021-12-15 Washington, Fillmore County EF0 4.6 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $289K
2019-05-27 Wykoff, Fillmore County EF0 0.19 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $23K
2019-05-27 Etna, Fillmore County EF0 0.21 mi x 15 yd 0 0 $6K
2019-05-27 Etna, Fillmore County EF0 0.18 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $17K
2019-05-27 York, Fillmore County EF0 6.01 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $231K
2018-09-04 Rushford Vlg, Fillmore County EF1 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $2K
2018-05-30 Bristol, Fillmore County EF0 0.46 mi x 8 yd 0 0 $9K
2017-07-19 Preston Fllmr Airport, Fillmore County EF1 2.03 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $36K
2011-05-22 York, Fillmore County EF2 14.8 mi x 225 yd 0 1 $328K
2004-06-16 Harmony, Fillmore County F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
2004-06-11 Spring Vly, Fillmore County F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1997-06-19 Harmony, Fillmore County F0 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1982-05-17 Fillmore County F0 8 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1977-07-14 Fillmore County F2 9.2 mi x 1,500 yd 0 10 $2.5M step
1973-07-23 Fillmore County F0 0.8 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $3K step
1968-05-15 Fillmore County F1 8.4 mi x 77 yd 0 0 $25K step
1968-04-20 Fillmore County F1 2 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1965-05-05 Fillmore County F3 18.8 mi x 100 yd 0 6 $2.5M step
1953-05-10 Fillmore County F4 26.2 mi x 33 yd 1 6 $2.5M 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 Fillmore County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Fillmore County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-04-14 HailBratsberg, Fillmore County 1.25 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-14 HailHarmony, Fillmore County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-13 Thunderstorm WindOstrander, Fillmore County 50 kt wind 0 0 $10K
2026-04-13 Thunderstorm WindCarinona, Fillmore County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-13 Thunderstorm WindSpring Vly, Fillmore County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-15 Winter StormFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-03-13 High WindFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 56 kt wind 0 1 $15K
2026-02-28 Winter StormFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-02-19 Winter StormFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-01-22 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 0 –
2026-01-21 Winter WeatherFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore 0 4 $50K

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

Records with deaths or injuries in Fillmore County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1953-05-10 TornadoFillmore County F4 26.2 mi x 33 yd 1 6 $2.5M step
2011-02-11 Winter WeatherFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore An icy roadway caused a four vehicle accident on Highway 63 two miles south of Spring Valley. Two people were injured and a female passenger died in the crash. 1 2 $10K
2014-12-20 Freezing FogFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore A woman was killed in a one car accident that occurred near Pilot Mound during the evening of December 20th. Icy conditions developed from moisture deposited on the roads from fog with temperatures below freezing. The vehicle the woman was riding in went off the road because of the icy conditions and rolled into a ... 1 1 $6K
2023-12-21 Dense FogFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore A fatal automobile accident from a vehicle leaving the roadway occurred in Sumner Township along Fillmore County Road 4 near the intersection with Fillmore County Road 38 late on Thursday, December 21st. Nearby weather observation stations reported visibilities as low as 3/4 statute miles and several hours of mist. 1 0 $2K
2022-11-05 Winter WeatherFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore One person was killed in a two vehicle accident that occurred on U.S. Highway 52 southeast of Canton on November 5th. Roads were snow covered and slippery at the time of the accident. Light snow had been falling for several hours before the accident and continued into the early morning of the 6th. 1 0 $18K
2012-02-02 Dense FogFillmore County · forecast zone Fillmore A person died after being involved in a two vehicle accident near Spring Valley that occurred in dense fog. The automated weather observing equipment at the Preston airport reported a visibility of a quarter mile or less from 7 p.m. February 2nd until 10 a.m. 1 0 $13K
1977-07-14 TornadoFillmore County F2 9.2 mi x 1,500 yd 0 10 $2.5M step
1965-05-05 TornadoFillmore County F3 18.8 mi x 100 yd 0 6 $2.5M 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.

The costliest records in Fillmore County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2007-08-18 Flash FloodRushford, Fillmore County 0 0 $55M
2007-08-19 FloodRushford, Fillmore County 0 0 $17M
2008-06-08 FloodSpring Vly, Fillmore County 0 0 $5.3M
2013-06-23 Flash FloodFillmore County 0 0 $4.4M
2000-06-01 Flash FloodCountywide, Fillmore County 0 0 $3.9M
2008-06-08 FloodLanesboro, Fillmore County 0 0 $2.1M
2016-09-21 Flash FloodRushford, Fillmore County 0 0 $2.0M
2008-06-07 Flash FloodMabel, Fillmore County 0 0 $1.7M

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: May 10, 1953 (tornado, Fillmore County, 1 killed); July 14, 1977 (tornado, Fillmore County); May 5, 1965 (tornado, Fillmore 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 Fillmore 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).

Fillmore County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0191035414454
Hail037726664719
Winter storms––––14384324
Floods––––523164
Extreme cold––––371013
Heavy rain––––00252

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 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 56 · Feb 39 · Mar 31 · Apr 55 · May 77 · Jun 155 · Jul 99 · Aug 52 · Sep 43 · Oct 10 · Nov 11 · Dec 60 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Fillmore County

FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Fillmore County: 15 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (6) and severe storm (6).

Declarations including Fillmore County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-06-28DR-4797FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2020-04-07DR-4531BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3453BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-12DR-4442FloodSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2016-11-02DR-4290FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2013-07-25DR-4131Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2008-06-25DR-1772Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2007-08-23DR-1717Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3242HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2000-06-27DR-1333Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1998-06-23DR-1225TornadoSevere Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Tornadoes
1993-06-11DR-993Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1991-12-26DR-929Severe Ice StormIce Storm
1978-07-08DR-560Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Hail & Tornadoes
1976-06-17EM-3013DroughtDrought
1974-07-13DR-446FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1969-04-18DR-255FloodFlooding
1965-04-11DR-188FloodFlooding

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 Fillmore County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 48 flood or flash flood records for Fillmore County from 1997 to 2024, on 40 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fillmore County ranks 1311th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $753,000 on 99 claims filed in Fillmore County; the most in one year was 23 in 2000. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 1 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 9 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 23 · 2001: 12 · 2004: 2 · 2007: 7 · 2008: 16 · 2013: 16 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2024: 2; 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 Fillmore County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fillmore County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.0 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Fillmore County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$1.9M9.9 a year (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Low$29Konce in about 3 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$12M1.4 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$2.0Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$383K4.4 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Low$125K11 modeled event-days a year
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$52K19 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$40Kabout once 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 Fillmore County

  1. Olmsted County 1,083
  2. Winona County 762
  3. Mower County 732
  4. Fillmore County 688
  5. Winneshiek County, IA 627
  6. Howard County, IA 493
  7. Houston County 422

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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