Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27073 · population 6,711 · 765 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 505 records for Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 345 days; the most frequent are hail reports (144 records). The most damaging was the October 8, 1997 thunderstorm wind ($1.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1965, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on July 19, 2023.
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
- 505on 345 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 16strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2023
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 Lac qui Parle County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 144 since 1959. 60% of its hail reports since 1959 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 | 144 | 84 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $518K | 57 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 139 | 137 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 114 | 63 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 1 | $3.6M | 67 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 87 |
| Floods | 17 | 16 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 58 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 12 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $286K | 73 of 87 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2006-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 87 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 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 Lac qui Parle County had?
NOAA records 16 tornadoes in Lac qui Parle County from 1967 to 2025, the strongest rated EF1, 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Lac qui Parle County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 16, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Lac qui Parle County (16)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-28 | Haydenville, Lac qui Parle County | EF1 1.23 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-09-23 | Cerro Gordo, Lac qui Parle County | EFU 0.25 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-06 | Louisburg, Lac qui Parle County | EFU 2.29 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Louisburg, Lac qui Parle County | EF1 1.08 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-12 | Madison, Lac qui Parle County | EF1 0.89 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-08-12 | Louisburg, Lac qui Parle County | EF0 0.57 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2010-08-12 | Madison, Lac qui Parle County | EF0 1.11 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-08-12 | Rosen, Lac qui Parle County | EF0 0.36 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2006-07-27 | Dawson, Lac qui Parle County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-05-08 | Bellingham, Lac qui Parle County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-05-08 | Haydenville, Lac qui Parle County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-06-25 | Boyd, Lac qui Parle County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2000-07-25 | Boyd, Lac qui Parle County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-21 | Lac qui Parle County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-07-01 | Lac qui Parle County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-06-14 | Lac qui Parle County | F1 10.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Lac qui Parle County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 11, 2023 flood ($252,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A combination of record setting seasonal snowfall, high snow water equivalent values, and rapid snow melt led to low lying areas, ditches, and ravines across the county to flood for a prolonged period of time. Road infrastructure such as bridges, gravel roads, and culverts experience varied degrees of damage caused by rapid runoff. Lac qui Parle County Emergency Management reported $260,000 in damages to roads and bridges.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1093230)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindHaydenville, Lac qui Parle County | 72 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMadison Airport, Lac qui Parle County | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindDawson, Lac qui Parle County | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMadison, Lac qui Parle County | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMadison, Lac qui Parle County | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter StormLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-06 | Winter WeatherLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-28 | Winter WeatherLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherLac qui Parle County · forecast zone Lac Qui Parle | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-08 | Thunderstorm WindHaydenville, Lac qui Parle County Hog barn collapse resulted in one injury. Damage estimate for entire county. | 0 | 1 | $1.8M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-08 | Thunderstorm WindHaydenville, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | |
| 1997-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindMadison, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 0 | $735K | |
| 2010-03-17 | FloodBoyd, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 0 | $697K | |
| 2007-03-14 | FloodDawson, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 0 | $605K | |
| 2019-03-17 | FloodRosen, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 0 | $346K | |
| 2009-03-23 | FloodMarietta, Lac qui Parle County | 0 | 0 | $344K | |
| 2016-06-17 | HailProvidence, Lac qui Parle County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $307K |
| 2016-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindBellingham, Lac qui Parle County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $307K |
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: June 21, 1981 (tornado, Lac qui Parle 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 Lac qui Parle 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 | 4 | 2 | 28 | 68 | 26 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 36 | 47 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 39 | 27 | 19 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 16 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 49 · Feb 34 · Mar 39 · Apr 22 · May 56 · Jun 110 · Jul 81 · Aug 30 · Sep 17 · Oct 11 · Nov 17 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lac qui Parle County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Lac qui Parle County: 17 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (10) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-19 | DR-4722 | 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 |
| 2019-06-12 | DR-4442 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-07-21 | DR-4182 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2011-05-10 | DR-1982 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-04-19 | DR-1900 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-03-19 | EM-3310 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009-04-09 | DR-1830 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-01-04 | DR-1622 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1993-06-11 | DR-993 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1992-06-26 | DR-946 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-255 | 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 Lac qui Parle County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Lac qui Parle County from 1997 to 2025, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lac qui Parle County ranks 1710th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $224,000 on 45 claims filed in Lac qui Parle County; the most in one year was 29 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1992: 7 · 1997: 29 · 2001: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 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 Lac qui Parle County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lac qui Parle County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.0 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $101K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.6M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $422K | 3.9 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $578K | 4.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $270K | 7.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $98K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $358K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $515K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lac qui Parle 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 Lac qui Parle CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lac qui Parle County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis