Lincoln County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27081 · population 5,636 · 537 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 590 records for Lincoln County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 472 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (199 records). 336 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the June 1, 2019 flood ($28.9 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1969, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 8, 2022.
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
- 590on 472 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 04 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $88Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2022
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 Lincoln County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 199 since 1996. 43% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 199 | 198 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.3M | 4 of 87 |
| Hail | 112 | 73 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $29M | 36 of 87 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 90 | 63 | 1979-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | 44 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $248K | 3 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 41 | 40 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 87 |
| Floods | 33 | 30 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $30M | 16 of 87 |
| Drought | 32 | 32 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 3 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 14 | 1955-2018 | 0 | 1 | $5.7M | 53 of 87 |
| Heat | 17 | 17 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2014-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 74 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Lincoln County from 1955 to 2018, the strongest rated EF2, 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Lincoln County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Lincoln County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-24 | Arco, Lincoln County | EF0 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-07-01 | Tyler, Lincoln County | EF2 1.33 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2004-06-12 | Wilno, Lincoln County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2003-06-24 | Hendricks, Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-13 | Tyler, Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-13 | Verdi, Lincoln County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2001-06-13 | Tyler, Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-13 | Lake Benton, Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-06-13 | Lake Benton, Lincoln County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 1994-10-06 | Waseca, Lincoln County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-05-26 | Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-07-01 | Lincoln County | F1 1.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-06-15 | Lincoln County | F1 4.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-06-15 | Lincoln County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-06-19 | Lincoln County | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1956-06-25 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-07-07 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1955-04-19 | Lincoln County | F2 9.2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Lincoln County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2024 thunderstorm wind ($1,882 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed several trees and powerlines near the intersection of County Roads 15 and 1. Damage extended further east with minor property damage near the intersection of County Road 15 and 103. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1198442)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HeatLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-02 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-28 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-28 | Winter WeatherLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter WeatherLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 38 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter WeatherLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-12-28 | Winter WeatherLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln Light mixed precipitation combined with temperatures hovering near freezing resulted in an ice accumulation to around a tenth of an inch on December 28 and early December 29. Snowfall developed in the afternoon of December 29, and continued into December 30 producing hazardous travel. Snowfall totaled 4.3 inches 8 ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2020-01-17 | BlizzardLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln A period of heavy snowfall with winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph moved through during the morning and early afternoon of January 17, before tapering to several hours of freezing drizzle. Ice accumulations were generally a glaze, before precipitation changed back to snow in the evening. Winds then picked up from the ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1955-07-07 | TornadoLincoln County | F1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-01 | FloodVerdi, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 1997-06-22 | HailLake Benton, Lincoln County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $28M |
| 2022-09-20 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2023-10-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2021-07-06 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 1995-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindTracy, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1996-11-14 | Ice StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1993-05-07 | Thunderstorm WindTyler, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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: April 19, 1955 (tornado, Lincoln County); June 15, 1970 (tornado, Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 50 | 80 | 54 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 55 | 23 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 8 | 7 | 22 z |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 20 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 21 | 7 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 22 records against 7 in the decade before, 22 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 Lincoln 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?
43% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 59 · Feb 54 · Mar 50 · Apr 51 · May 43 · Jun 90 · Jul 78 · Aug 34 · Sep 14 · Oct 18 · Nov 30 · Dec 69 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lincoln County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Lincoln County: 11 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2011-07-28 | DR-4009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2010-10-13 | DR-1941 | 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 |
| 1997-04-08 | DR-1175 | Flood | Severe Flooding, High Winds,Severe Storms |
| 1997-01-16 | DR-1158 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1997-01-07 | DR-1151 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 1993-06-11 | DR-993 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1969-04-18 | DR-255 | 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 33 flood or flash flood records for Lincoln County from 1997 to 2024, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lincoln County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7,496 on 3 claims filed in Lincoln County; the most in one year was 1 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2010: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2019: 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 Lincoln County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.1 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 | $794K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $136K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $444K | 10 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $109K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $400K | 3.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $904K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $298K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $474K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lincoln 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
- Winter storms in MinnesotaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Lincoln CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lincoln County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis