Itasca County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27061 · population 45,006 · 2,668 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 975 records for Itasca County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 447 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (299 records). The deadliest single record is the June 28, 2009 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Southern Itasca, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1966, 13 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
- 975on 447 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 54 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $773Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Itasca County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 299 since 1959. 72% of its severe thunderstorm wind events 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 299 | 137 | 1959-2026 | 1 | 2 | $371K | 80 of 87 |
| Hail | 273 | 126 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 82 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 163 | 106 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 85 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 96 | 56 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 83 of 87 |
| Drought | 81 | 49 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 87 |
| Floods | 27 | 13 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 84 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 10 | 1975-2022 | 0 | 0 | $385K | 84 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 3 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 4 | 1997-2010 | 2 | 1 | $2K | 83 of 87 |
| Lightning | 5 | 4 | 1996-2007 | 1 | 1 | – | 53 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2008-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 87 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 85 of 87 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 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 Itasca County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Itasca County from 1975 to 2022, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Itasca County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Itasca County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-30 | Deer River, Itasca County | EF1 2.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-30 | Cohasset, Itasca County | EF0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-06-19 | Swan River, Itasca County | EF1 6.53 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-05-26 | Squaw Lake, Itasca County | EF0 3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-09 | Warba, Itasca County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-09-16 | Itasca County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-18 | Itasca County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1985-09-17 | Itasca County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-07-19 | Itasca County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-06-07 | Itasca County | F2 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-08-24 | Itasca County | F1 0.1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Itasca County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 27, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBovey, Itasca County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindGoodland, Itasca County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBennett, Itasca County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindTaconite, Itasca County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBall Club, Itasca County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCohasset Pnchrry Arp, Itasca County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | HailTaconite, Itasca County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | HailMarble, Itasca County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | DroughtItasca County · forecast zone Northern Itasca | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-09 | DroughtItasca County · forecast zone Southern Itasca | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-08 | Winter WeatherItasca County · forecast zone Northern Itasca | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-08 | Winter WeatherItasca County · forecast zone Northern Itasca | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-06-28 | Strong WindItasca County · forecast zone Southern Itasca Two men drowned while attempting to assist children in a youth group on rough waters on Pokegama Lake. Winds gusted to over 40 mph at times during the afternoon, which was enough to generate 2 to 3 foot waves on the lake and overcome the two men. The wind measurment is from the Grand Rapids, MN automated weather ... | 37 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2012-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindPengilly, Itasca County Roy Jasper Flug of Goodland MN, drowned when the boat he was fishing from on Swan Lake capsized in the high wind and waves that developed due to the thunderstorms. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2011-01-03 | Cold/Wind ChillItasca County · forecast zone Southern Itasca Rachael Lavonna Rupert was found unresponsive lying outside her home at 8:00 am. According to the Itasca County sheriff's office, she likely slipped, fell and was unable to recuperate herself and succumbed to the cold. There is no estimate to the time of her fall. The temperature at 8:00 am was -20 degrees Fahrenheit, ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-06-08 | LightningBowstring, Itasca County A man died of a lightning strike on Bowstring Lake on the evening of June 8th. He may have been on his dock when struck. His body was found in the lake the following day. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-07-15 | Strong WindItasca County · forecast zone Southern Itasca A strong gust of wind caused a building under construction to collapse in Grand Rapids, MN. A construction worker was injured in the accident. Winds were consistently gusting between 20 and 30 mph all day. | 24 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2003-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindBigfork, Itasca County Large trees were blown over. The top of a tree broke off and fell through the windshield of a man's car. A branch impaled the 58 year-old man to the car seat. | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1999-06-26 | LightningGrand Rapids, Itasca County Lightning struck a pavilion in Gunn Park, knocking one juvenile male unconscious. Several other people were knocked to the ground. No injuries were reported to be severe. The time is approximate. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1988-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindItasca County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindGrand Rapids, Itasca County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $257K |
| 2025-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindCalumet, Itasca County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2023-07-19 | HailMarcell, Itasca County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 24, 1975 (tornado, Itasca County); June 7, 1977 (tornado, Itasca County); July 19, 1978 (tornado, Itasca 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 Itasca 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 48 | 54 | 90 | 76 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 48 | 51 | 62 | 95 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 44 | 58 | 42 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 | 41 | 35 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 24 | 12 | 45 z |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 45 records against 12 in the decade before, 45 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 Itasca 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?
72% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1959 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 83 · Feb 62 · Mar 48 · Apr 58 · May 77 · Jun 223 · Jul 218 · Aug 84 · Sep 30 · Oct 10 · Nov 24 · Dec 58 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Itasca County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Itasca County: 12 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (6) and flood (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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-06-14 | DR-1419 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes |
| 1999-07-28 | DR-1283 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding |
| 1995-08-18 | DR-1064 | Severe Storm | Severe Thunderstorms, Winds, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Heat |
| 1979-04-30 | DR-582 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-07-17 | DR-476 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1972-08-25 | DR-350 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1966-03-22 | DR-215 | 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 Itasca County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 27 flood or flash flood records for Itasca County from 1999 to 2025, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Itasca County ranks 2291st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $122,000 on 12 claims filed in Itasca County; the most in one year was 2 in 2000. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2023: 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 Itasca County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Itasca County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $31.4 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 High | $13M | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.6M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 0.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $552K | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $14M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $13K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $79K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $266K | 1.5 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 Itasca 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MinnesotaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Itasca CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Itasca County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis