Mille Lacs County, Minnesota
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 27095 · population 26,388 · 572 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 400 records for Mille Lacs County, Minnesota from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 301 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (112 records). The deadliest single record is the September 16, 1955 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1965, 8 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
- 400on 301 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 16strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 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 Mille Lacs County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 112 since 1962. 62% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 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 | 112 | 84 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 3 | $776K | 29 of 87 |
| Hail | 109 | 70 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $321 | 46 of 87 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 87 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 28 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 48 of 87 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 14 | 1955-2019 | 1 | 2 | $6.0M | 56 of 87 |
| Floods | 13 | 12 | 1997-2016 | 0 | 0 | $564K | 57 of 87 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 1999-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 87 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 1996-2010 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 74 of 87 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 87 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2015-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 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 Mille Lacs County had?
NOAA records 16 tornadoes in Mille Lacs County from 1955 to 2019, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 2 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 Mille Lacs County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 16, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Mille Lacs County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-18 17:15, as SPC files it | Onamia | F3 | 17 mi | 1 |
| 1955-09-16 14:30, as SPC files it | Mora | F1 | 10.4 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Minnesota.
Every tornado record filed for Mille Lacs County (16)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-08-26 | Milaca, Mille Lacs County | EF1 2.31 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $231K |
| 2019-08-26 | Page, Mille Lacs County | EF0 2.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2011-07-30 | Bock, Mille Lacs County | EF0 0.21 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2000-07-25 | Milaca, Mille Lacs County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-25 | Wahkon, Mille Lacs County | F0 6 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-09-18 | Onamia, Mille Lacs County | F3 8 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-09-18 | Wahkon, Mille Lacs County | F1 2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-21 | Long Siding, Mille Lacs County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-05 | Mille Lacs County | F0 2.9 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-20 | Mille Lacs County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-07-03 | Mille Lacs County | F2 22 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-07-08 | Mille Lacs County | F0 2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1974-06-04 | Mille Lacs County | F1 1.9 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1971-07-18 | Mille Lacs County | F1 1.9 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1959-07-08 | Mille Lacs County | F2 0.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-09-16 | Mille Lacs County | F1 | 1 | 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 Mille Lacs County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 14, 2020 thunderstorm wind ($285,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Two large barns had their roof structure uplifted and blown off south of Onamia.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 906046)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | HailPage, Mille Lacs County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | HailPage, Mille Lacs County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindPage, Mille Lacs County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | HailOnamia, Mille Lacs County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter WeatherMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter WeatherMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Winter WeatherMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-25 | Winter WeatherMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-09 | Winter StormMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Winter StormMille Lacs County · forecast zone Mille Lacs | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-09-16 | TornadoMille Lacs County | F1 | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1991-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindMille Lacs County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1994-08-25 | Thunderstorm WindMille Lacs County A roof was blown from a building and a tree was blown onto a car and injured a woman. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1974-07-08 | TornadoMille Lacs County | F0 2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1974-06-04 | TornadoMille Lacs County | F1 1.9 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindOnamia, Mille Lacs County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $285K |
| 2019-08-26 | TornadoMilaca, Mille Lacs County | EF1 2.31 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $231K |
| 2011-07-30 | TornadoBock, Mille Lacs County | EF0 0.21 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2019-08-26 | TornadoPage, Mille Lacs County | EF0 2.97 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2012-05-28 | HailPage, Mille Lacs County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $321 |
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: September 16, 1955 (tornado, Mille Lacs County, 1 killed); July 8, 1959 (tornado, Mille Lacs 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 Mille Lacs 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 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 25 | 39 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 34 | 31 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 31 | 29 | 29 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 15 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
62% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 29 · Mar 24 · Apr 22 · May 39 · Jun 51 · Jul 91 · Aug 45 · Sep 26 · Oct 8 · Nov 11 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mille Lacs County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Mille Lacs County: 7 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-19 | DR-4722 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2020-04-07 | DR-4531 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3453 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-07-28 | DR-4009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3242 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-05-16 | DR-1370 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1976-06-17 | EM-3013 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-08-01 | DR-347 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Mille Lacs County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Mille Lacs County from 1997 to 2016, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mille Lacs County ranks 2020th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $119,000 on 24 claims filed in Mille Lacs County; the most in one year was 6 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 3 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 2 · 1995: 1 · 2001: 6 · 2003: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2016: 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 Mille Lacs County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mille Lacs County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $151K | once in about 960 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.9M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $406K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $552K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $193K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $73K | 8.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $645K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Mille Lacs 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 Mille Lacs CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mille Lacs County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis